


She Always Wins

by Snarcasm318



Category: Rookie Blue
Genre: Awkward Flirting, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Meet-Cute, wtf are these tag things?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-29 13:37:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8491825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snarcasm318/pseuds/Snarcasm318
Summary: Gail and the boys are hanging out at The Penny when they make a wager. Gail is surprisingly impressed by who she meets. Former One-shot.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Don't own RB or the characters, just borrowing them. This was my first attempt at a fanfic, and I've already posted it elsewhere but decided to add it here too. I'll be posting my other works as well. I'm not a writer, and don't pretend to be, but I randomly have an idea and decide to share it.

"So how does it feel to be such losers, do you guys ever get tired of failing so hard all the time? Maybe I should start calling you Titanic, because you're both such epic failboats," mused Gail as Chris and Dov dejectedly sat back at their table.

"What? It's not our fault they both have boyfriends. How were we supposed to know they were dating some jerks from 27? Plus, it's easy for you to talk, girls just do the rejecting," complained Dov.

"Yeah," Chris chimed in. "You just have to sit there. Guys come up to you, they buy you drinks, do the talking, and you just get to shoot them down like sitting ducks."

"Yeah and you have it even easier. You get both guys and girls to fall all over you," Dov added.

"What can I say? I'm hot," countered Gail.

The boys nodded, they couldn't really disagree, not without risking physical harm to their manhood. "Yeah, but I would like to see you try to pick someone up. It's not as easy as it looks," grumbled Chris.

"Why would I waste my time going out of my way to interact with people when they come to me?" smirked Gail. "Plus, I have more game in my little toe then the two of you combined. Dork 1 and Dork 2."

"Alright how about we make this interesting?" offered Dov.

"I'm listening...barely..." said Gail as disinterestedly as possible. She made a point of rolling her eyes and glancing aimlessly around the bar like it was much more interesting than whatever Dov had to say. Then again, maybe it was, as she noticed a pretty brunette at the bar. The woman was attractive but clearly weird. She was reading a book at the bar, and seemed to be immersed in whatever she was reading, completely ignoring the men approaching her. It appeared that she was shooing them away without even breaking eye contact with the text in front of her. Probably had a boyfriend already or was married. "What's the bet?"

"You have to pick a girl up," seeing the glare Gail shot his way, Dov held up a hand to finish the rules quickly, "Which means you have to approach a girl, hit on her, and get her number," he finished with a flourish of his drink.

"Why a girl?" Gail questioned, while narrowing her eyes. Not that she really cared. Afterall, both girls and guys had hit on Gail before. Hell, she had slept with her fair share of guys including Chris, and had some steamy makeout sessions with some of her "friends" who were girls in college. Not that she would ever share her inner musings with Dov but really, she thought labels were stupid, unless they were for shoes...or guns (obviously). Plus Gail knew that she could easily win any bet her roommates could come up with, but she wasn't going to make it easy for them.

"Because if you hit on a guy he would be putty in your hands. I would love for a girl to come up to me for a change, buy me a drink, and ask for my number. It would be such a turn on!" exclaimed Chris. Poor guy hadn't gotten laid in a while.

Chuckling, Dov pointed at Chris and said "Exactly!"

"OK, so let's say I agree to this bet. What do I get when I win besides some chick's digits?" Gail asked nonchalantly.

"We'll clean the frat house this weekend" offered Dov. That had been an ongoing argument between the roommates. The boys claiming Gail didn't do her share of the cleaning. The blonde argued that it wasn't her mess or her problem. She won. (Gail always won).

Gail chuckled, "Really? That's the best you have to offer."

Chris added, "And we'll buy your drinks for you for the rest of the night".

"Try the rest of the weekend," said Gail before adding, "And lunch for the week". Not that Gail was actually concerned about this bet but she figured if she was going to have to leave her seat she wanted to make it worth her while.

"Fine, but if you can't get her number then you have to do the cleaning and buy our drinks and lunches," said Dov.

"No way! There's two of you and only one little me" snarked Gail.

"Dude you can eat more than both of us!" countered Chris, only flinching a little when Gail shot him a look. He was lucky he was out of hitting range at the moment. He would regret that comment later, thought Gail. "Alright, no lunches, but you have to pick up both our tabs for the weekend," Chris placated.

Dov nodded, "Oh and we get to choose the girl you try to pick up".

"Fine, whatever, but I wouldn't start ordering too many drinks if I were you. This is gonna be a breeze," the blonde said with a shrug. She was bored just sitting here talking to these two anyway. It would be a long night at the rate they were striking out.

The guys lit up and began to look around the bar for the perfect challenge for the blonde. They needed someone who would definitely give Gail a run for her money. But they also wanted someone that Gail would never choose for herself. After arguing over a few girls throughout the bar, Dov spotted a brunette by the bar he didn't recognize. He nudged Chris who looked over too.

"I don't know man. She's hot in a smart kind of way," whispered Chris.

"Come on, you know Gail is going to mock her for being a nerd. There is no way she is going to be able to not insult her," said Dov back in a hushed tone. He had picked the woman because she was reading a book at the bar, seriously who does that? There was no way in hell Gail would be able to keep her snark in check while talking to someone who was reading in a crowded bar on a Friday night.

"Alright, her, the brunette at the bar. The one with the glasses" said Dov, cockily pointing in the woman's direction.

With an exaggerated sigh, Gail shifted in her seat to look in the direction her roommate was pointing. "Wait the bookworm? Seriously, you want me to pick up a dork? Do I look like I belong to the dorkdom that you two clearly come from? Who the hell reads a book in a bar?" Gail didn't want the guys to realize she had already checked out the attractive woman. She was hot in a sexy librarian kind of way. Who knows, that could be her thing? Either way, she wouldn't mind getting this woman's number, not that she would use it, it was just for the bet right? Still she had to show some resistance.

"Yep, definitely her," Dov grinned with Chris nodding beside him. "Unless you don't think you can do it."

"Whatever, just be ready to pay up," huffed the blonde as she pushed her seat back. How hard could it be? Thought Gail as she sauntered over to the bar.

\---

"Who brings a book to a bar?" questioned Gail, as the blonde leaned against the bar casually.

With a sigh, "Who comes over to bother a stranger who's clearly not interested," countered the brunette without looking up from her book.

"If you didn't want to be bothered. I'm sure you could have found somewhere quieter. I mean, you are in a crowded bar, filled with people, getting liquored up, looking for a good time. Yet, you're sitting in the middle of it with a book." Not that Gail would admit that she was kind of impressed with the brunette's concentration and general apathy towards her surroundings. Seriously, how was she able to read with people moving all around her and shouting to one another?

"Maybe I just like the challenge," the brunette replied.

"Finally, something we can agree on," quipped Gail in her velvety voice. This was taking longer and way more words than she thought it was going to.

At that, the brunette finally looked up from her book. She adjusted her glasses, ready to go off on the fourth person to bother her since getting to the bar thirty minutes ago. Seriously, why would anyone think she was interested in conversing or getting hit on? That was why she always brought a book in the first place. In case she had to wait somewhere, it was a natural deterrent. She was surprised to see the gorgeous platinum blonde in front of her. Maybe she could use a little distraction.

"Ah did I finally get your attention?" Gail questioned knowingly as she locked eyes with the dark brown pools in front of her. "Took long enough," she huffed.

"Well, clearly you're here for a reason. If it were just to get a drink from the bartender, you would be trying to get his attention, not mine. So?"

"Maybe I just wanted to see what could possibly so interesting that you had already turned down three guys who came over" Not that Gail had noticed or anything.

"Been watching me a while have you?" Busted!

"Nah, just observant, it's part of the job being a cop and all".

"So are you trying to make detective that you felt the need to solve the book in the bar mystery?"

"Haven't solved it yet. Still don't know who you are or what you're reading," leaning over to look at the cover, Gail read the title aloud Pathophysiology of Cardiovascular Disease. "My god, you're even nerdier than I thought! Is your brain really so big that you understand that thing or is it all for show? Scare people away with big words and all."

"Actually, it's extremely fascinating. Everything you need to know about the human heart from arrhythmias, to myocarditis, and myocardial infarctions. The way things work and the unlimited ways they can go wrong. How the heart goes from beating normally to not beating at all-"

"Why are you saying all these words?" Gail interrupted with an eye roll.

"You asked. Yes, I understand everything I'm reading or rather rereading. I need to catch up before I start my new job on Monday. Plus, it is far more interesting than cheesy pickup lines or being asked why I would be reading when I could be talking to such an awesome specimen of the male sex."

"What's wrong? Don't like the guys trying to pick you up at a bar?"

"Turns out, I don't like men."

"I don't think I like men much either," Gail said while shooting daggers at her roommates who were watching their interaction with smug grins on their faces. Clearly they thought it wasn't going well.

The brunette glanced briefly in the direction of the table, "I meant I'm a lesbian."

"Oh, I meant I hate people," the blonde deadpanned.

The brunette gave the woman in front of her a side-smile, "And yet you're talking to me?"

Gail didn't know why but her stomach flipped at the sight of the smile, "Well clearly you aren't normal people."

"Clearly."

"So nerd you said you start a job on Monday. What is it that you do besides breaking hearts?" Gail asked with a self-satisfied grin at her own play on words.

"Really?" responded the brunette with a chuckle.

"You're the one reading about patho-whatchamacallit". The brunette couldn't help but smile even bigger. Despite seeming uninterested, it was clear the blonde had been paying attention, and she was kind of impressed that she had not only understood the meaning of the title and her explanation but could twist it around.

"Probably because I'm a forensic pathologist. I'll be working with 15 and 27 divisions."

Crap, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Gail would probably be seeing the brunette around on cases. Oh well, she couldn't lose a bet. She just had to hurry this along, get a name and number then get her free drinks and food, and a clean apartment. But a part of Gail didn't really want to hurry. This had easily been the most interesting conversation she had had in a while. Though that wasn't saying much when Gail glanced over at her roommates once again.

"Pathologist? So you're a doctor?"

"Indeed. Doctor Holly Stewart" the brunette said extending a hand. "Officer...?"

Shaking the proffered hand and holding it slightly longer than socially acceptable, Gail let the doctor pull away first. "Officer Gail Peck. I work for fifteen too. So can I buy you a drink, doc? You know, congratulations for a new job, and the opportunity to work with yours truly" What the hell was she doing? Gail never bought people drinks or offered them congratulations. Damn it, all she needed was a number. Oh well, she might be laying it on thick but she had a bet to win. She flagged down the bartender.

"Actually I'm meeting someone," the brunette said with that side-smile of hers.

Gail frowned as she ordered two shots of tequila and two jack and cokes and put it on her tab, the boys would be paying by the end of the night anyway. For some strange reason, she wasn't happy the brunette seemed to have plans after all. She had been enjoying the banter and wasn't looking forward to getting back to the guys. Oh well, she still had a number to get but now there really was a time limit. She subtly gestured for a pen to the bartender.

"So is it someone..." Gail said sliding the jack and coke over, "...Or someone someone?" she questioned as she offered the tequila. The pen was slipped to the side of her own drinks. Her choice of drink could give the blonde an idea about the chances of her competition. No, not competition, it was only a phone number, well, and a drink.

"I don't know yet," answered the brunette truthfully. Though, if she were being completely honest, it was just a stupid set-up. A friend of hers knew someone at 27 and thought it would be good for Holly to meet a future co-worker and possibly get a date out of it. Not that Holly had trouble meeting people. She was gorgeous and successful but she didn't care for serious relationships. Most people didn't understand that she was already in a fully committed relationship with her work. She loved her job and everything that medicine had to offer. It was really more a lifestyle than a career. Oh well, if the woman from 27 was even half as good-looking or as clever as the blonde from 15 the date probably wouldn't be awful. She looked between the drinks contemplating which one to take. She preferred the whiskey to the tequila but didn't really want to give the blonde the satisfaction of thinking that she had won.

"Well if it isn't the chicken police," Officer Jen Luck from 27 Division singsonged as she interrupted the duo at the bar.

Gail didn't hide her grimace or her annoyance as she glared at the other officer. God, she hated this woman, was chicken police really the best she could do?

"Luck" Gail practically snarled. "We were in the middle of a conversation, no one invited you".

Ignoring the blonde, Officer Luck turned to the doctor. "So you must be Holly. I'm Jen. Sorry I'm late there was a jewelry store heist. Nothing I couldn't handle but the paperwork can be a real bitch," she shot the blonde a smug look. She was ecstatic that she could brag in front of the other officer while grabbing the attention of the hot brunette who was here for her after all, "Do you want to grab a table?"

"Sure" the doctor said with a good-natured smile, trying to mask her disappointment that her time with the intriguing blonde had come to an end. "Why don't you go ahead? I'll meet you there in a minute," Holly stalled.

Holly watched the officer walk away in the direction of an open booth before turning her attention back to the blonde, who was doing nothing to hide her disdain for the woman who had just interrupted. Interesting...

"Never mind, clearly it's just someone," Gail said tipping back both shots of tequila. "Though if that's your type, I may have to question your intelligence doc. We may need to revoke your nerd license". She could hear the laughter coming from the boys back at her table. Ugh, they thought she had failed and were enjoying her rejection. Gail was getting pissed.

"So are you going to tell me why you really came over? What exactly was the bet you had going with the guys over there?"

"Ummm..." Gail could feel her face turn red at being caught. Damn her pale skin!

"Did I mention I can read lips? So I know you were talking about a bet"

Gail got a serious look on her face and leaned into the doctor's personal space. "So, you were watching my lips?" Gail practically purred into Holly's ear. She smirked as she saw the shudder run down the brunette's spine at the contact of her breath on her ear.

"That didn't answer my question," countered the doctor as she cocked her head to the side. Giving the officer her best "don't bullshit me" face.

With a sigh, Gail explained the terms of the bet. She figured there was no point in lying. The brunette though was clearly not impressed.

"I take it you're not going to help me win?" Gail said with a bit of chagrin.

"That would be a safe assumption. Thanks for the drink officer," Holly said as she grabbed the glass before turning away from the blonde, she was definitely disappointed that she had read the conversation properly. She really was just a bet and she didn't like it at all.

"Wait a sec nerd," Gail said reaching for the brunette's arm, they both felt the electricity spark between them at the contact. Gail couldn't understand it but there was really no denying the chemistry she had with this woman. Sure she had been attracted to people before but talking had never really been at the forefront of her mind then. Even though she started out the conversation for the wrong reasons, she wouldn't mind having another chance to chat with the weird doctor. She quickly wrote her number on a napkin before giving it to the brunette. "I'm sorry that I came here under false pretenses but I'm glad I did. It was better than I expected. In case you get bored with Luck, or your book..." she handed her the paper.

Holly glanced at the napkin, instead of her name, Gail had written "A Someone Someone" above her number. Holly tried to maintain the hard, disappointed look on her face but there was something so genuine in the stormy blue eyes of the blonde officer, she couldn't help it when she let out a little smile. "I'm still not helping you win...Good night Gail," and she walked away.

"Actually I was letting you win. Good night nerd!" Gail smirked before turning back to her table. Damn it, did she really just lose? Now, she was going to have to pay and clean.

\---

The boys wasted no time rubbing it in Gail's face that she had lost. After their victory dances, Gail punched them both in the arms, hard. They lost a bit of their smiles after that, which pleased the blonde. They each ordered more drinks, the boys excited that their roommate would have to pay for once. Gail just sighed, lost in her own thoughts about her interaction with the intriguing woman and shooting daggers at Luck as she touched Holly's arm and laughed loudly at something the doctor said. Too loudly, thought Gail, who the hell did this woman think she was? Couldn't she see Holly was way out of her league? Oh well, thought Gail emptying her drink in one gulp. After a while, she began to get ready to leave, not wanting to see how the doctor's date with the annoying officer panned out any further.

"You two losers ready to leave," Gail huffed grabbing her jacket.

"Actually you would be the loser tonight Casper," countered Dov, but standing and grabbing his jacket as well.

"Whatever!" Gail started towards the bar to close the tabs when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. It was a text from an unknown number.

Unknown: I think your friends owe us some free drinks this weekend

Gail glanced up and caught the doctor's eyes twinkling back at her. She had been watching her intently from her table with Luck.

Gail responded: Definitely, want to cash in now?

The brunette excused herself from the other officer and met up with the blonde at the bar.

"What's wrong? Don't want to get lucky tonight?" questioned Gail.

Holly groaned, "Chicken police was the best she had to offer. By the way, you definitely owe me. So what are we having?"

"Anything you want doc, anything at all," Gail said with a wink and a smile. She grabbed the bartender's attention before adding, "Maybe if you're nice I'll let you see the clean apartment you helped to procure."

"Ha officer, now who's trying to get lucky?" The two women smiled at each other.

"Hey Epstein, Diaz you owe us drinks," Gail shouted to the boys waving her phone back and forth.

The boys groaned. How did she always win?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yep that's right, over a year later and I've suddenly decided to turn this one-shot into a short story. Emphasis on the word short. It will only be a few more chapters but I guess that's better than none. A special thank you to Purple2015 for helping me figure out ways to extend this one.
> 
> Just a heads up, the story is going to take a slightly different turn than where the original chapter directed, but it'll all work out in the end...trust me...
> 
> Disclaimer: I own neither the characters nor the song in this fic, but I am borrowing them for your entertainment

 

* * *

"Lunchbox?" Gail called from the doorway of the forensic lab.

Holly didn't even bother to look up from the heart she was examining, "It's still a forensic kit, Officer Peck, no matter how badly you wished I carried snacks with me."

"No, I meant, here is your box of food." Gail shook the bag she was carrying for good measure.

The brunette glanced up, a wide smile on her face as she returned the organ to the basin beside her. She tossed the gloves she had been wearing and washed her hands before joining the blonde in the hallway.

"Gail Peck buying me lunch? How did a girl like me ever get so lucky?" She teased as they made their way to the pathologist's office down the hall.

"Right place right time."

Sitting in a bar reading a book and ignoring everyone else around her. It had made Holly the perfect target of the bet that night and after Gail had procured the good doctor's digits, they had proceeded to destroy the boys' wallets. Turned out they shared an appreciation of higher end liquors. And they stayed, talking, and flirting, and drinking (so much drinking) well past the time the boys called it a night. It wasn't until last call rang that the spell broke and for whatever reasons they had, the two parted that night as nothing more than friends.

"Before you get too excited, the boys paid." Gail explained as she spread out their lunches across the office desk.

"Of course they did. But you're the one delivering it in person."

"I figured it was only fair since you did help me procure it."

"I'm pretty sure you would've won without me." Holly had no doubt about the blonde's abilities at video games ten minutes into watching her play against her roommates that weekend. It had taken some time, but they had eventually coaxed her into joining them, despite being a newb.

"Obviously, but with you as my handicap the guys were willing to up the ante from one week to an entire month." Hence the delivery.

"Good point. Does that entitle me to try some of your food?"

"Nothing entitles anyone to my food." And yet, Gail did nothing to stop the brunette from swiping a bite off her plate. She half-heartedly glared at the doctor, "I've killed people for less."

But Holly had the audacity to just shrug, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "You're sitting in my lab and I can think of at least 25 ways to dispose of your body without leaving a trace or this building."

"You're threatening an officer of the law, Dr. Stewart, that's a criminal offense."

"Well I usually make a woman buy me dinner before I let her break out the handcuffs, but I suppose I could make an exception just this once." Holly winked as she took another bite of food, her lips curling up into a smile around her fork as a small blush hit the pale woman's cheeks across from her.

"I bought you lunch." Gail countered, doing her best to keep up the banter, even though the idea of using her cuffs on her new friend had her way more distracted than it probably should've.

"You **br** ought me lunch, not sure it counts."

Gail just shrugged, "Same difference."

But all the teasing was just that, it was teasing. Harmless flirting that seemed to dictate their friendship. Gail had almost made a move that first night. They were just outside of the bar, waiting to catch a car home, neither in any state to be driving. And they had been standing so close, lingering as they talked quietly under the moon. She remembered focusing on Holly's lips, leaning in before she even realized what she was doing, but Holly had pulled away abruptly. Had rambled about how much fun the night had been and how good it was to make a new "friend" before the car pulled up. So Gail hadn't tried again, not after that first rejection, and she never brought it up again. They were friends, just friends, and it worked.

"What are you up to after your shift?"

Gail glanced up from her food warily, "Why?"

"Well, my friend Lisa wants to meet up for drinks and stuff tonight, but she's notorious for being late or not showing up at all."

"Isn't that why you carry books with you?"

"That is precisely why I carry books with me. But this time I thought I would try something new."

"Like me."

"Well, I'm all about growing these days."

Holly had made mention of something similar the first night they met. It explained why she had agreed to get setup with Luck, even though Gail had continued to mercilessly tease her about it. Something about a bad break-up and then there had been the new job and a lot of changes in Holly's life at one time. In fact, it had been part of the reason Gail had thought it would be a good idea to go for the kiss that night...well, that, and the tequila. "Where are you two going tonight?"

"I don't remember the name, but I'll text Lisa before I pick you up."

"Funny, I don't remember saying yes." Gail pointed out, despite the fact that she had every intention of going. But she couldn't let Holly get the impression that she was so willing to hang out with her. Even if she was. She liked spending time with the doctor, who had quickly proven to be way more interesting than her usual crowd.

"Really? Cause I'm pretty sure I heard 'Yes, Holly, I would absolutely love to go out with you and your friend tonight after you helped me earn free food and drinks from my friends on more than one occasion.'"

"You're really pushing your luck today, Stewart."

But Holly just smiled wider, "I'll pick you up at 8."

* * *

"Oh no." Gail could hear the sounds of tone-deaf singing all the way down the street.

"Oh yes." Holly caught hold of the blonde's leather clad arm and dragged her in the direction of the club.

"How did you even find this place? Is there some kind of lesbian bat signal I don't know about? Aside from your enormous collection of fleece and backpacks."

Though Holly was wearing neither fleece nor backpack. In fact, she was wearing a pair of sinful leather pants that flaunted every curve and a top with even more buttons undone than she usually wore to work. It had been enough to stop Gail in her tracks when she first saw her that night and more than a minute for her brain to even realize she had been caught staring before she saw the smirk on the brunette's face. Surprisingly, Holly hadn't even teased her about it, simply opened the door to the car they were sharing like a true gentlewoman. But it had been hard for Gail to keep her eyes up and focused on Holly's anytime they spoke. A problem she couldn't remember having with any of her other friends.

"Actually it's called the lesbian network. Anytime a new gay shows up in town, they roll out the red carpet and phones start ringing off the hook. And when a new spot appears, well, just forget it, minds are blown." The brunette did her best to keep a serious face but it didn't last as she laughed at the slightly unhinged jaw belonging to the blonde. "I told you my friend Lisa invited me, she found this place." Holly glanced at the time on her phone, and around the crowd outside. "And of course she's not here yet."

"Well, you know we could always bail, clearly she wouldn't miss us." Gail hadn't realized that the night would consist of singing karaoke at a gay bar. It was a little jarring, considering the blonde was still coming to terms with these feelings towards women that she really hadn't given much credence to before. And even though she had always thought labels were stupid, she hadn't realized she wanted to play for the other team so badly until that night at the bar when she realized that she had had more fun talking and drinking with Holly than any of her ex-boyfriends, including the idiot she had almost married. Or maybe it was when she felt her stomach clench every time Holly's hand brushed hers. Or maybe it had been when the disappointment sunk in after she left that night without a goodnight kiss. Yeah, maybe it had been then.

"Are you uncomfortable? Because if this is making you uncomfortable we can just leave, I'll tell Lisa I'll meet up with her another time." Holly offered, more than a little concerned at the wide blue eyes filled with panic before her.

"What? Me? No. We met because I hit on you in a bar, Holly." And sure, she was the first woman Gail had actually pursued, but hey better late than never, right? "But I should warn you that I'm lesbian catnip."

"Cocky and cute, why am I not surprised." Holly muttered under her breath.

Gail didn't quite catch what the doctor said, still surveying her surroundings, and trying to shake the sudden bout of nerves. "What was that?"

"Nothing." Holly cleared her throat, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Ready to head in."

It was even more crowded on the inside, the off-key singing even louder, and the neon lights a bit brighter. They had quickly made their way to the bar and were a couple of drinks in with still no sign of Holly's friend. The doctor had excused herself to the bathroom when Gail was literally bumped into by a familiar face.

"Peck!" Frankie Anderson was a homicide detective for a different division and had graduated in Steve's class at the academy. She was a well-known heartbreaker, having been bounced around a variety of divisions as a result, an obnoxious flirt, and a full-time pain in the ass. The older officer gave the blonde a once-over for good measure, "I didn't know you swung this way. Steve never mentioned it."

Probably because Gail's brother had no idea about his sister's burgeoning feelings. And if he did, that news would spread like herpes. "I'm here with a friend, Anderson." It was a cop out, for sure, but, well, Gail was a cop and she wasn't quite out yet.

"Well, if you two are just friends, you wouldn't mind me buying a drink for the doctor?" Frankie asked as she caught sight of exactly who Gail's friend was.

"Detective, I didn't know you'd be here." Holly greeted as she joined the two cops at the bar. She smiled as Gail handed her the fresh drink she had ordered in her absence.

"I imagine you wouldn't, karaoke isn't normally my thing. But buying a beautiful woman a drink certainly is, so what do you say?" Gail didn't appreciate the lecherous smile on the detective's face, but there was little she could do other than glare at the older woman and wait for Holly's response.

Holly held up her full glass with an apologetic smile. "Maybe another time, we're meeting some friends."

"Shame, well, the offer stands." Frankie said, but she was already distracted by someone new to pursue.

"Do you two know each other from the lesbian network too?" Gail asked as soon as the other officer was out of earshot. She was a little surprised by the note of jealousy in her own voice. She was Gail Peck and Pecks never got jealous.

(Alright, that one was bullshit. Gail had spent the better part of her life jealous of her own brother, but let a girl enjoy her denial a little longer).

"She's a homicide detective, I'm a forensic pathologist and I do occasionally work with other divisions beside 15." There was more than a hint of amusement in the doctor's words as she took a sip of her drink.

"But 15 is your favorite, right?"

Holly's lips quirked up in a lopsided grin belying the chastisement in her voice, "It's not a competition."

" _Everything's_ a competition. Be better than everyone else. Peck rule #3"

"And what are the first two?"

"Always know who you are, and most importantly: don't screw up." Gail ticked them off on her fingers as she finished her drink in one last gulp. Talking about her family had a certain way of driving her to drink.

"No pressure."

"Nope."

Gail was pretty sure she had already managed to break those two rules hard. Clearly, she was still figuring out who she was despite nearly four years in service and twenty seven years on the planet, and as far as her family was concerned she was fairly certain she would always be a screw-up.

"So how competitive are you, exactly?" Holly asked, drawing out the question with an extra amount of sweetness as something on the bar caught her attention.

"Why?" Gail panicked when she saw the clipboard Holly had picked up, a pen in her hand, and a smirk on her face. "Oh no. Don't even think about it. I don't sing."

"Don't or can't?"

"Doesn't matter, I'm not doing it. No way."

"Come on, I'll buy you drinks for the rest of the night," Holly wheedled.

"You were going to do that anyway just for enjoying my company. And that's not much of a victory." Gail pointed out, afterall all their drinks that night had already gone on the brunette's tab.

"Well, then how about if you actually win, I'll do something I swore I'd never do."

"Like what?"

"You know what."

Gail gasped, "No."

But Holly nodded solemnly, "Yes."

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

Blue eyes lit up considerably at the proposal, "A deal is a deal, Lunchbox. No finagling."

"A deal is a deal." Holly offered her hand out to shake on it.

* * *

It took a while before it was Gail's turn on stage. And in that span of time, she had consumed more than her fair share of liquid courage, and now that there was a contest involved and a prize to be won, Gail's competitive side had broken through. Luckily her fear of public speaking and stages did not apply to drunken singing.

Gail starting tapping her hand against her hip to the beat of the tambourine.

"I need love, love to ease my mind"

Gail's smooth voice crooned, catching the attention of everyone in the bar and earning her some whistles. But it was the way Holly's jaw had dropped and brown eyes had widened that had her trademark smirk to appear and to put an extra bounce in her strut.

"I need to find, find someone to call mine"

And from the looks of the women in the bar, most of them would be more than happy to belong to the hot blonde on stage.

"But mama said  
You can't hurry love  
No, you just have to wait  
She said love don't come easy  
It's a game of give and take

You can't hurry love  
No, you just have to wait  
You got to trust, give it time  
No matter how long it takes"

Gail couldn't help it, even as she moved around the small stage, a presence, a diva, wooing the crowd, her eyes kept finding their way back to Holly. The doctor was hanging on her every word and it gave Gail an extra thrill.

"But how many heartaches  
Must I stand before I find a love  
To let me live again  
Right now the only thing  
That keeps me hangin' on  
When I feel my strength, yeah  
It's almost gone  
I remember mama said:

You can't hurry love  
No, you just have to wait  
She said love don't come easy  
It's a game of give and take

How long must I wait  
How much more can I take  
Before loneliness will cause my heart  
Heart to break?"

Gail clutched at her chest with the type of extra dramatic flair that always made cruising around the city on patrol with Oliver her favorite times.

"No I can't bear to live my life alone  
I grow impatient for a love to call my own  
But when I feel that I, I can't go on  
These precious words keeps me hangin' on  
I remember mama said:

You can't hurry love  
No, you just have to wait  
She said love don't come easy  
It's a game of give and take

You can't hurry love  
No, you just have to wait  
She said trust, give it time  
No matter how long it takes"

And despite the fact that this was a competition and Gail really should have been focused on the judges, the next few lines were directed at one person, and one person only...

"No, love, love don't come easy  
But I keep on waiting  
Anticipating for that soft voice  
To talk to me at night  
For some tender arms  
To hold me tight  
I keep waiting  
I keep on waiting"

If Gail had been beside her, she would have realized that Holly was holding her breath, the words, the amazing voice, and the way Gail dominated the stage destroying her and her stupid resolve to not jump into anything with someone new, and especially not someone who was still figuring things out. Because Holly couldn't take another heartbreak, not so soon, not when she was still recovering from the scorch marks of the last one. Damn it, this blonde was going to be the death of her looking at her like that, but what a way to go.

"But it ain't easy  
It ain't easy  
But mama said:

You can't hurry love  
No, you just have to wait  
She said to trust, give it time  
No matter how long it takes

You can't hurry love  
No, you just have to wait  
She said love don't come easy  
It's a game of give and take"

Gail finished the song with a flourish before the room erupted in cheers.

* * *

"I thought you couldn't sing." Holly playfully accused the second Gail had pushed her way through the crowd, being stopped along the way by appreciative spectators.

"I said I _didn't_ , not that I _couldn't_. C'mon, Nerd, you should know better than to bet against me by now." Gail tutted as she took her spot beside Holly at the bar. She still had the adrenaline from the performance flowing through her.

"Well, the verdict isn't in yet." But even Holly had her doubts after that performance, or how anyone could vote against those bright blue eyes and killer smile.

It came in soon enough, not only had Gail Peck won the competition and the heart of every single woman in the room, Holly Stewart now had to let Gail drive her motorcycle. It was something Gail had been happy to gloat in the good doctor's face, but it was hard to fully enjoy her victory when woman after woman approached her, offering to buy her drinks, offering their numbers, asking for hers. She was a little surprised at the response and the attention and more than a little disappointed when Holly stepped back and let it all happen.

"Hey, where are you going?" Gail had managed to escape her groupies only to catch sight of Holly heading towards the exit.

"Lisa texted, she got stuck in the OR so she isn't coming tonight, and it's getting late so I was going to head home." It also didn't help that Holly was mad at herself for how jealous she was anytime a new woman approached to congratulate Gail and flirt with the blonde. She wasn't proud of the feeling, and she really didn't want to stand in the way of Gail figuring things out and meeting people.

"Oookay, why didn't you say anything?"

"You were busy and just because I'm ready to call it a night doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy yourself. I'm pretty sure you won't have to worry about paying for drinks even if I'm not there."

But the smile on Holly's face wasn't meeting her eyes, and Gail worried she had overstepped again by directing the song at her friend. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Gail, not at all. I'm just tired, and I mean it, you should enjoy the victory. I'm just going to head out, I'll talk to you later."

As Gail watched Holly walk away, she didn't feel like much of a winner at all.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Whoops a little angst slipped into this one. No worries though, this is mostly meant to be fun and fluffy so there won't be much more of that. But yes, Gail is a baby gay with an awful crush on Holly, and Holly is more than a little blind to what's standing right in front of her...anyway let me know what you think and if you're interested in seeing what other things Gail can win at...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't seem to understand the concept of limiting words. As usual the chapter got away from me and ended up longer than I intended, but hopefully it's worth the wait...

It had been a long shift, it was one of those wonderful fall days of torrential downpours and the rookies had been set on crowd control for some boy band. Both McNally and Price had been excited much to Gail's disgust. The music had been loud and undeniably terrible (though catchy as fuck) and stupid Chris had been humming the melodies all day. Gail hadn't been able to decide between tazing him to shut him up or herself to put her out of her own misery. The only satisfaction she had gotten that day was getting to throw a few teenie boppers out for trying to sneak alcohol into the line. Of course, that had resulted in the spiked slushie ending up all over her boots, but watching the girl's mascara run down her face because she was missing out on her favorite heartthrobs gave the blonde a sliver of satisfaction. But still by the end of the day her feet hurt, her uniform was soaked, and her head was pounding. At least no one was shot this time (then again this time they were smart enough not to leave McNally in charge).

The three roommates had decided they had definitely earned a night at the Penny, and were on their way there to meet the rest of their friends when a familiar brunette, nose buried in a file, crossed their path on the way out of the precinct.

"Isn't that Holly?"

"Probably." Gail mumbled, suddenly overwhelmed by an intense desire to hide. Ever since the karaoke night, things hadn't quite been the same between them and Gail was still worried she had messed up her newest friendship with her stupid feelings (if anyone asked, this was precisely why she didn't have them). And of course rather than confront the issue at hand, Gail decided to be a cat about it and climb the tallest tree she could find. Except now she was stuck at the top of it, wanting to get down, but having no idea how. The next step if something didn't change soon would be to create one of her emergency situations. And, well, those never ended all that well.

"She hasn't been hanging out with us lately, you two get into a fight or something?" Chris was the first to broach the subject, being the sturdier of the two men.

"No, we've both just been busy." Gail mumbled though she dragged her feet even slower to try to prevent the crash course of awkwardness she knew she was on.

"What did you do?" Dov asked with his usual level of tactfulness (which was aggressively none).

"Why do you assume I did something?" She shot back, her irritation both with the question and herself, because technically she had kinda did something. Like, it was just a song, but clearly Holly hadn't appreciated it if the way she had cleared out was any indication.

Dov rolled his eyes, his steps started to go slightly wider left and a little further out of reach. "Uh because we know you."

"If you two aren't fighting, why don't you invite her out?" Chris suggested, trying to intercede before the blonde melted his best friend's face off with her glare.

"She's obviously working."

"Hey, Doc!" Dov called out to the bespectacled brunette, despite his roommate's protests, and ignoring the obvious look of warning on her face. He managed to draw her dazed attention. The scientist's smiled warmly at the trio when her brain finally left the file and caught up to who had called out to her.

"You coming out with us tonight?" He flashed his trivia cards in what he thought was an enticing manner, unable to see the way Gail rolled her eyes behind his back.

"Yeah, when you come, Gail's so much nicer." Chris added, with his usual level of tail-wagging charm.

There was a satisfying thwack that echoed as Gail smacked the back of each of her roommate's thick heads.

"Ow."

"Ow."

"I'm always nice," the blonde growled.

"Point proven." Dov mumbled, still rubbing his head but smart enough to move out of reach as he continued to antagonize his favorite verbal sparring buddy.

Holly smirked, unable to hide her amusement with the trio. "I wish I could, but I'm working late tonight. Next time."

The guys made her promise before they headed out to Chris's truck, not paying attention to the way their female comrade lingered behind. Now, that they were alone after her idiots had broken the vow of silence, and Holly was still looking at her with her usual warmth and smile, Gail could feel some of her apprehension abate. Maybe if she just acted like nothing had happened, then things could go back to how they had been.

"Please don't leave me with dumb and dumber." Gail pleaded as she took the first tentative step out onto the nearest branch.

Holly shrugged apologetically, "Sorry, damsel, I can't rescue you this time."

"You're a shitty knight in shining armor," the blonde groused.

"I'll be sure to remove it from my resume. Go drink with your friends and try not to kill them."

"I'm not making any promises."

"Just remember they each pay a third of your rent."

"They can still do that on disability."

Holly sighed, "As long as they don't add to my workload tonight I'll count that as a win."

"Fine, no extra corpses for Holly." Gail held up her hand in a mock Girl Guide pose. "Happy?"

"Very."

The crooked smile on the doctor's face was the same one Gail had long ago learned meant the brunette was amused by her. They had slipped so easily back into their banter that the blonde officer wondered what she had even been worried about in the first place. It made her complacent enough to make reference the night in question, "You still owe me your bike, Lunchbox."

"Guess that means we need to hang out more."

"I'm holding you to that."

"Please do."

Okay so Gail definitely hadn't fucked things up between them. Even if Holly had acted weird after the karaoke thing. Well, not right after. Right after, Holly had looked at Gail with such intensity that the blonde had thought for a second she would kiss her. But she hadn't when Gail reached her at the bar, and instead they had laughed and joked around like they always did. At least they _had_ until the other women had started to approach them. Huh? If she didn't know any better, it had seemed that Holly had maybe been a little jealous that night. But that wouldn't really make sense, would it?

Before Gail could give it more thought, Holly was glancing at her watch and almost pouting. "I really need to get back to the lab."

"Have fun playing with dead people."

"At least they don't talk back."

"Yet." Gail could hear Holly's laugh even as the brunette walked away. It filled her with an extra bit of warmth, but the moment was ruined as a text arrived from the boys telling her to get her ass out to the car or she'd have to walk to the bar. She decided that the only way they were going to make up for all the dickheadedness that night was by paying for her drinks, they just didn't know it yet.

* * *

It was the sound of rustling curtains that first broke through, and then an uninvited light was invading her senses. Gail groaned and buried herself further under the covers, trying to safely cocoon herself away from the atrocity.

"I'm dying."

She didn't need to open her eyes to recognize the laugh that came in response to her disgruntled words. It was a sound that she normally thrived off of, but her body was in too much pain for her to enjoy it. Her throat was on fire, her stomach felt like there was a gaping hole in it, her head was pounding, and her tongue felt something akin to sandpaper.

"You're not dying."

"Yes, I am. Go away and leave me alone to die."

"You're being dramatic."

She reached out to swat in the direction of Holly's calm voice, but was surprised when her fingertips made contact with something simultaneously hard but soft, and warm, and a little...moist? She still didn't open her eyes yet as her hand moved, pressing, and prodding. It wasn't until she heard Holly's light chuckle that she opened her eyes, prepared to glare. But what she wasn't prepared for was to see Holly standing there in a pair of shorts and a sport bra, sweat still clinging to her skin from the run she had just returned from and holy shit there were abs. Poor Gail was really not prepared for the giant G-A-Y stick that smacked her in the fucking face at the sight of them. If she wasn't sure before, there was really no denying her attraction to women now, especially not this woman.

"See something you like?" Holly teased when widened blue eyes stared at her for a solid minute without blinking.

"Are those real?"

"Despite what one of my best friends does for a living, I can assure you that they are 100% natural."

Gail swallowed thickly as her eyes shot higher. No, not to Holly's face, because that wasn't what they were talking about. Though it was certainly hard to tear her eyes away now that Holly had drawn her attention to the pair of perfect breasts being supported by such little black cloth. And Gail had been to the gym plenty of times, been in locker rooms her whole life, and she couldn't ever remember any other woman catching her attention like this. But realizing that it probably wasn't in her best interest to gawk she reluctantly tore her eyes away and back to the original offender.

"Not _those_. I meant those." She gestured a few inches below the area that was equally distracting, because, really, did Holly have to have such well defined muscles on open display? "Did you paint them on?"

"You just felt them, what do you think?"

"I think that you're not a real human."

"You're right, I'm obviously an alien and not someone who simply enjoys exercise."

"I knew it!"

"You could have them too if you actually got up in the morning and ran with me." Holly teased.

"I hate morning, and running, and currently you and your alien anatomy."

She also hated the stupidly attractive smile crookedly adorning Holly's face, even as she was ostensibly insulting her.

"That's not what you said last night."

The night in question was a blur, too much tequila and stupid decisions while hanging out with the boys. And for a moment she panicked, silently begging her hungover brain to remember what had her drunk ass had said, praying she hadn't confessed the stupid feelings that kept assaulting her when she just wanted to ignore them. But she couldn't remember, so she reluctantly bit the bullet. "What did I say last night?"

"Something about your real friend arriving."

Okay, that could've been so much worse.

"I was really drunk."

"I know. You only said it after I promised to stop for pizza and doughnuts on the way home." But there was such fondness in Holly's voice and a softness to her smile that had Gail convinced the brunette knew that there was more to the comment than just the blonde's love of food.

"Well, at least you made yourself useful."

"Right, because bringing your demanding ass to my house and letting you lay claim to my bed wasn't enough."

"It was a good start."

"Mmmhmmm, well as much fun as talking is, I need a shower."

"I'm just going to be here, dying."

"At least you'll be easy to find."

Gail hid her face, not wanting Holly to be able see the unbidden smile that was hard to control whenever the brunette was being particularly clever. It wouldn't do for her newest friend to actually realize how impressed she still was that she had met someone who could challenge her so readily, So she buried herself once again into Holly's sheets, trying not to focus too hard on the sound of running water or of clothes hitting the ground. And she was definitely not thinking about Holly's naked body in the shower. Or about the intense desire she had to join her.

* * *

"I'm still dying."

"This is a very slow death."

"And painful."

"You're not dying, Gail."

"There was steam, Holly, actual steam coming out of his ears. And I ate more than either of them."

"What would ever possess you to do something so silly?"

The silliness in question being a hot pepper eating competition. It had started when they got to the Penny that night. Gail had demanded the guys pay for her drinks as retribution for embarrassing her in front of Holly (not that she told them the real reason), but they had stubbornly refused, after all they were still buying her lunches from their last wager. And then stupid Angus was telling them about a stupid shipment of stupid peppers from Mexico that had arrived as part of some new menu promotion thing. So obviously tequila happened (what? it went with the theme) and more stupidity ensued.

"Chris saw a youtube video and then Dov got involved and one of the idiots said something about how a girl could never eat more than them and I obviously had to prove them wrong."

"One small step for feminism, one giant leap for GERD."

"So I **am** dying!"

"You're not dying."

"You don't know that!"

"Actually, I'm pretty sure four years of medical school, four years of residency, a two year fellowship, and my board certification means that I do."

"All your patients are dead."

"They came that way."

"Probably why your malpractice insurance is so low."

"Probably."

"This is all your fault you know?" Gail shifted the conversation, her eyes narrowing into an accusatory glare.

"How is it my fault? I wasn't even there!"

"Exactly! If you had been there this never would've happened."

"I'm pretty sure this would've happened, and I would've either been forced into it too or been holding the camera."

"Chloe was holding the camera and that's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"First do no harm. You've harmed me."

"I did no such thing."

"Well, you let it happen, so obviously you should fix me, Doc!" The blonde demanded. But she wasn't prepared for Holly to step so close to her. She swallowed thickly against the dryness in her throat as the brunette invaded her space.

"I didn't know you wanted to play Doctor. All you had to do was ask." There was no denying the flirtatious lilt to the brunette's voice and it was hard for Gail not to squirm in her seat with the way Holly's eyes seemed to darken further as they swept over her, but then just as suddenly, Holly was stepping away with a light chuckle and heading towards the kitchen.

Gail probably shouldn't have been staring, but it was hard not to notice the way Holly's hips swung with an extra bounce or the way the yoga pants she had changed into seemed to highlight every inch of her, capturing the rounded curves of even more well-defined muscles.

"I wish." Gail mumbled wistfully under her breath, unable to take her eyes off her friend's perfectly sculpted ass.

"What was that?" Holly called, having crossed the threshold between rooms and luckily just out of earshot.

Gail cleared her still burning throat. "I'm dying, fix me."

The brunette returned with a couple of ice pops in hand, she handed one over, "Eat this and scooch."

"I'm not five years old," Gail grumbled, even as she busied herself with opening her treat. She grudgingly moved her legs, letting the doctor grab a seat before settling them into her friend's lap.

"Really, cause you certainly act like one."

Gail stuck out her tongue, she loathed to admit it but the cold really did bring relief to her throat. It was then she noticed the color of the pop Holly was unwrapping. "Are you eating grape?"

"Yes, I like grape."

"What is wrong with you? No one likes grape."

"I do." Holly replied with a shrug, she let out an exaggerated moan at the first taste, and it had Gail shifting uncomfortably as the sound set a new fire burning much lower in her body.

She turned her attention to loading up a movie on the TV, hoping for any distraction, because the brunette was going to be the death of her at this rate. She smiled to herself as she came across the perfect choice. Her lips curled around her frozen snack when she heard Holly chuckle as the doctor realized what Gail had chosen.

"Really? And you say I'm the weird one."

"Well, originally I wanted to binge CSI reruns, but you vetoed that."

"They're so inaccurate!"

"But that's half the fun."

"Watching bad science?"

"Watching you outscience them." Holly blushed at the comment, a sudden shyness overcoming her features as she adjusted her glasses. Gail felt her heart tighten at the sight. And when the brown eyes finally looked over at her, she just seemed to stare at the blonde beside her. Gail couldn't figure out what was going through her head. "What?"

"Nothing, just...most people get annoyed when I correct the TV."

"Most people are idiots. I thought we already established that, Nerd?"

"How could I have forgotten?"

"I don't know but it's a good thing I'm around to remind you."

"Yeah….it is." There was still something heavy about Holly's tone but Gail couldn't figure out why the moment felt as charged as it was.

She diverted her eyes, and picked up the remote. "So are you ready to watch the zombie apocalypse? I expect you to take notes."

"For when my patients come back to life?"

"Obviously!"

Gail turned to face the screen, doing her best to focus on Emma Stone conning people on the television, but hard as she tried she couldn't stop stealing glances at the woman beside her. The smile on Holly's face and the warmth in her laughter as the silly movie unfolded. And it was weird how fucking adorable she found it. How fucking annoying it was that she couldn't stop thinking about her best friend this way. But she had to do her best to squash these feelings. So she pushed the thoughts away, focusing on the fake gore and zombie lives being lost. But then just when she thought she had a handle on actually functioning as the grown adult she was supposed to be, she became distracted by the way Holly's fingers mindless traced patterns onto the skin right above her ankles. Well, it was more by the tingles they left in their wake. And, yep, at this point, she was undeniably screwed.

* * *

"All work and no play, makes you a very dull person Holly Stewart."

A week. She had made it almost an entire week staying out of the hot doctor's orbit. While she would love to say it was intentional, a sign of her own self restraint, it was more a matter of shitty schedules. Gail had been on nights all week and Holly was still pulling doubles whenever she could. So they hadn't really seen since the pepper incident that still had Gail cringing when she thought about it. And if she thought the distance would've helped or put some perspective on things, they really hadn't because the end of the week came and there was no one she wanted to see more than Holly. But she justified it as just wanting to hang out with her friend on a Saturday night. Defending her choice by thinking about the other rookies and how she really was in need of some new friends. So obviously it was perfectly rational for her to show up on Holly's doorstep unannounced with pizza and booze.

Holly leaned against the open door frame, ripped jeans hanging comfortably on her hips, crossing her arms over the tank top revealed beneath an open flannel. She had her long hair pulled up in a messy bun held in place by a pencil and her glasses were pushed to the top of her head. Even like this, in her most casual clothes and an unannounced visitor at her home, the brunette looked...she looked gorgeous if Gail was being honest. But it was the challenge in her eyes and the smirk on her lips that had the blonde's heart really pumping.

"And you're here to change that."

The blonde officer shrugged, "Just doing my civic duty."

"Thought that was to serve and protect?" Holly asked amusedly as the other woman stepped inside, immediately making herself at home as she kicked off her boots and slipped out of her leather jacket, dropping her keys beside Holly's on the table in the entryway. leaving traces of herself all over the place.

"I'm protecting you from another boring night of reading articles in medical journals."

"Technically I was writing one-"

Gail ignored the interruption entirely, "And I'm serving you tequila." She retrieved the bottle of golden liquor, shaking it lightly in her hand.

"Ahhh it's one of those nights."

"It's always one of those nights."

"So I'm learning."

"But I mean if you would rather spend your night with Watson and Crick…."

"Marie Curie is more my type."

"You're such a nerd."

"Hey, you started it."

"Come on, Lunchbox, are you really going to let me drink all by myself."

The pout was what did it. How was Holly expected to say no to a face like that? "I'm so going to regret this in the morning."

* * *

"You're cheating."

"I am not cheating."

"You can't possibly be beating me at this."

"And yet I am."

"But howwwww?!" Holly complained as the loud buzzer rang out and the plastic patient's nose lit up. She had failed once again to remove the damn pencil from the radial bone. "Carpal tunnel isn't even a bone," she grumbled.

"Are you really this much of a sore loser?"

"I just don't understand how I'm losing. I honored in both anatomy lab and in my Surgery clerkship in medical school, I have literally written numerous articles related to proper autopsy technique. It must be these damn forceps."

"Excuses, excuses, you can just admit I'm the Champion of the Universe."

"Never."

It would take another twenty minutes, and a lot of curses (the foul-mouth on the doctor amused Gail greatly) but Holly was eventually forced to admit defeat. It was their fifth game that night and she had yet to beat the blonde at any of them. However, they were both successfully on their way to being smashed, considering most of their wagers had taken form in shots. They had been halfway through a drinking game involving Star Wars when the police officer had stumbled (literally) upon Holly's collection of classic board games. And it had all been downhill from there for the doctor.

"I thought you were supposed to be on a Superintendent-approved date tonight." Holly asked as Gail looked through the stack for their next game, which the brunette had sworn would be the one she redeemed herself with.

Before Gail could respond they both reached for their shot glasses as the words " _I have a bad feeling about this_ " rang out from the television. A quick clink of their glasses and both women were throwing their heads back, the alcohol smoothly making its way down, having lost its burn at least half a bottle ago.

Gail grimaced, less from the tequila and more from the thought of yet another set-up by her mother. "The last one was awful. Didn't last past the first cup of coffee. He was faking a British accent. I'm so not dealing with that shit anymore."

"And did you tell your mother that?" Holly asked as she went to refill the shot glasses to set up for the next round.

"I told her I'm a lesbian."

Holly missed the glass completely, spilling alcohol onto her coffee table and coursing onto the floor. She cursed under her breath.

"Hey! That is top shelf tequila."

"It means shoe in Spanish." Holly pointed out as she clumsily cleaned the mess. She waited until she was done before asking, "What did she say?"

Gail groaned, plopping onto the floor beside Holly, and feeling actual pain from remembering the reaction, "She said that she knows an MP whose daughter just came out and we would make the perfect couple. We're supposed to go out next week."

"Well...that's...ummm...yeah."

"That was very articulate of you, but yeah."

"Could've been worse."

"Holly, I just opened the door to an entirely new dating pool for my mother to throw at me."

"Then just tell her no."

"It's not good enough. She's not going to stop until she controls every aspect of my life."

"She doesn't have to control this part. It's not like you would have any trouble finding someone on your own. I'm sure you could have your pick of the ladies."

"Yeah?" The blonde scoffed, she made a show of looking around the house, under the couch cushions and coffee table, "What ladies?"

"Well...there's a...I mean, I might know…" Holly started to say, stumbling over her words in a way that she never did.

Their conversation was interrupted as the force was mentioned yet again and they took the obligatory shots.

"You were saying." Gail prompted, curious about what the doctor was going to say and why she looked so nervous saying it.

"Forget it."

"No, what is it that you might know?"

"I might know...that right now you're stalling and wasting valuable time that I could be kicking your ass in the next game. "

Gail had a feeling that was not what she was going to say at all. But she let her deflect, reaching towards the stack, "Never gonna happen, Nerf Herder."

* * *

"You are not a blackbelt," Gail scoffed.

"I really am."

"Pfft. I thought you were a pacifist?"

"Are you doubting my ability to get you on your back, Peck?" Holly taunted.

"I am a trained officer of the law, Dr. Stewart, a master of hand to hand comba-oof." The words cut off as the air left Gail's lungs, finding herself pinned to the floor by a triumphant Holly.

"And yet, this is me kicking your ass."

"I wasn't ready."

Gail quickly broke the hold, and was able to temporarily reverse their positions. The only problem was that this close she could feel all of Holly's muscles against her, could smell her perfume, could just tilt her head the right way and capture her lips. And that knowledge was way too distracting and in a matter of seconds she found herself on her back again. She tried again to wiggle free but that only made matters worse, her hips pressing up against Holly's creating a friction that was, well that had Gail thinking about her friend in ways she knew she shouldn't be.

So she stopped. And Holly's grin only seemed to grow, now that she thought she had the upperhand.

"Mmmhmm, admit it, I win."

God, the smugness on Holly's face really shouldn't have been as much of a turn on as it was, but she couldn't help the thrumming she felt in her body at the sight of it. And it was better for her to focus on the smile than a few inches lower where she could see Holly's chest expanding over the rim of the tank top that had slipped lower in the struggle, under the brunette's flannel which was now hanging off one shoulder. There was more tan skin exposed than before. And maybe it was the alcohol, or the intoxicating feeling of Holly pressing against her, but she couldn't let another opportunity slip away.

Gail stretched her arms higher above her head, effectively pulling Holly closer to her. Her voice low and carrying softly in the space between them. "I might be new to this whole lesbian thing, but I'm pretty sure having a girl topping me right now means I'm definitely winning at something."

She didn't miss the way Holly's eyes darted down to her lips or the way the doctor's smile shifted from cocky to amused as her eyes darkened with the same want Gail was sure was reflecting in her own eyes. She silently willed the brunette to just close the distance completely and take her already, still too nervous to say the words aloud. She watched the way Holly's eyes sought her face for something, probably reassurance and Gail tried to her best to give it, softening below her, she dragged her teeth along her bottom lip drawing Holly's eyes back to them. It seemed to be the last impetus Holly needed as she started to lean in. Gail's breath caught in her chest as her eyes slipped closed.

But just as she felt the barest glimpse of Holly's lips against her own, a phone ringing shattered the moment and sent the brunette sitting up and pulling away. She watched helplessly as Holly scrambled to find the offending object and its shrill pitch. Holly finally found her phone tucked into the couch cushions and groaned out loud before she swiped to answer.

"Lisa, I swear I don't care what oaths I've taken, you had better be dying, on fire, or pregnant by immaculate conception right now to be calling me." Holly's dark eyes were still fixed on her, and Gail could feel the way they traced over her body. It sent a shiver down her spine, and she stayed stretched out on the floor for a moment, still trying to catch her breath.

"I told you I was busy tonight and you're interrupting." Holly mouthed a "Sorry" and shrugged helplessly as the conversation continued. Gail pulled herself up so that she was sitting closer to her, not enjoying the new distance between them. It seemed Holly felt the same way, as she started to play with the collar of Gail's shirt. Her fingers moving gently along the edges.

Gail wanted to take the phone from Holly's hand and end the call herself so they could pick up where they left off. But she could hear the other doctor chattering away into Holly's ear. And if the animated voice on the other end was anything to go by it was obvious Lisa was only just gearing up.

"No, I can't come pick you up….." Gail smirked as Holly rolled her eyes at the phone. "Because I'm passed the legal limit too."

"No, I wasn't drinking _alone_ …." Holly's cheeks dusted a lovely shade of pink and her eyes suddenly shifted away from the blonde's, but her thumb kept dragging along her skin and Gail felt ready to combust.

"Seriously, don't start or I'm going to hang up." Holly threatened the invisible version of her friend. Gail prayed that she did. She was aching for more by that point and growing frustrated with how long it was taking to tell Lisa to piss off.

But then Holly's features darkened in a way Gail had never seen before. Any hints of amusement vanishing entirely as she pulled away completely and tucked into herself. "Can you not mention her, like ever again?"

Gail couldn't hear it but clearly Lisa still had a lot to say about whatever the subject was, or rather who. And whatever the other doctor was saying, it had put Holly on edge.

"I know what I told you. And I'm not ready to date right now and I really don't need to be set up. I can meet people on my own, thank you very much." Holly sighed loudly, "Fine, whatever. I'm hanging up now."

Holly ended the call, but continued to stare blankly at the screen, her hands occupied with the phone and her mind elsewhere.

Gail reached out towards the sullen brunette, her hand barely brushing along her arm, wanting to draw her back to them and the moment they were sharing before. But more concerned by how upset she looked. "You okay?"

Holly stood up abruptly, clearing her throat and tossing her phone onto the table. "I think I need some water. Want some?"

Gail nodded, struggling to stand and follow a slightly stumbling Holly to the kitchen, the alcohol hitting her system more now that gravity was involved. She leaned up against a counter as Holly poured two glass for them. "So what did Lisa want?"

"To ask for a ride since she can't find her keys. And to remind me of my poor life choices like the wonderful friend she is."

"Like what?"

"Like my last train wreck of a relationship."

Oh. It wasn't the first time Holly had mentioned that particular relationship. Gail had found out about it the first night they met when the break up and wounds were still fresh. Holly hadn't wanted to give details then, but it was obvious things hadn't ended well.

"What happened?"

Holly waved it off and started back towards the living room. "It's not important."

Gail settled down next to her on the couch, "If it involves you, it is important."

"You getting soft on me, Peck?" Holly teased.

"What, psssh no?!"

Holly hummed and nodded before seemingly focusing back on the movie that was still playing. "I love this part, do you mind if we just watch for a bit?"

Gail realized that whatever moment they had shared was clearly gone, so she let Holly pull away. "Sure, Nerd, whatever you want."

She was fairly certain that if she ever met this Lisa person she'd taze her in the eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gail's crushing hard at this point, and it seems the feelings might not be so one-sided. Will she be able to handle the next chapter when a little birdie tells Holly it's Gail's birthday and the hot doctor decides to surprise her? Will you, dear readers?


	4. Chapter 4

 

"Who pissed you two off?" Traci asked as she entered the relatively small gym with Andy in tow to find both Gail and Chloe throwing punches at the heavy bag sitting in the middle of the room.

"I'm imagining Luck's stupid face." Gail grunted as her fist dug harder into the unyielding material. As much as she disliked most forms of exercise, the burning in her muscles as she continued to pound the shit of the inanimate object felt really fucking good right then.

"Ditto." Chloe chimed in.

"So I take it you both had a run in with 27?"

"They beat us to the scene. We had to work with them all day." The redhead complained as she threw another punch.

Gail sent the bag back in her direction with a right hook of her own. "It was the only thing that saved Price from becoming road kill."

"You love me."

"I can barely tolerate you."

"I'm not as bad as Jen."

"That's really not saying much."

"Be nice, Gail," Traci chastised. The blonde glared as Chloe stuck out her tongue from behind the safety of the bag between them.

"So what did Luck do to deserve the Peck wrath?" Andy asked as she helped Traci start setting up weights.

"Oh, she was talking about Holly," Chloe cheerfully explained.

Gail glared at her partner for the day and wished not for the first time that she had heat vision, "If you value your life at all, Price, you'll stop talking...five seconds ago."

"What was she saying about Holly?"

But Chloe ignored the warning (threat). "She was talking about how hot she was and how she was going to ask her out again."

"Okay, that still doesn't explain why Gail is so mad." Andy pointed out.

"Because she likes Holly, duh." The answer was so simple, so obvious to Chloe that she couldn't understand the shocked expressions on the other rookies' faces.

Gail avoided the looks she knew she was receiving. She needed to steer the conversation back to safer waters, like a nice calm lake where she wasn't super gay for her new best friend. Yeah, that seemed like a good place to dock.

"Yeah, enough to protect her from being bored out of her mind by someone like Luck." She tried to sound as disinterested as possible, hoping her real feelings didn't show.

"That's not -" Chloe started to say.

"Yes. It. Is." She shot a murderous look at the effervescent officer across from her as her hits connected hard between each word.

"You sure that's all it is, Gail?" Traci asked, as she critically watched her friend take out her aggression on the punching bag hanging in front of her.

"What else would it be?"

"Could be that you want to be the one asking Holly out."

She could feel her face turning red, the tips of her ears burning hotly, and it wasn't from the exertion. "I...I don't...I'm not…" Sure, she had outed herself to her mother over the phone after growing frustrated by the constant blind dates, and yeah she had talked to Holly about it. And no she didn't really care for labels, but when suddenly confronted with the possibility of _everyone_ knowing, she panicked a little.

But Traci just continued right over the spluttering mess, "You smile more when you're around her."

"Wait, Gail Peck actually smiles?" Andy asked in mocking disbelief.

"Yeah, just not around any of us," Traci joked. "Plus, you actually go out of your way to go to the lab."

"And you hang out with her all the time," Chloe added.

"We're just friends." It was the unfortunate truth. Even though she had realized a while ago that she wanted more than just friends with the pathologist. But Holly wasn't ready to date, if what she kept saying was true anyway, and Gail honestly had no idea how to go about dating a woman. She didn't exactly have the best track record with relationships in general.

"Doesn't mean that's all you have to be."

She was definitely going to punch Chloe today.

"Everyone deserves to be happy, Gail." Traci offered with that warm smile of hers, that mom kind of smile, that was both encouraging and way too knowing. "Even you."

The attention made Gail shift uncomfortably on her feet. She hated girl talk and definitely hadn't expected to be the center of it that night. Even if Traci's word settled something in her chest more comfortably. But she kept her eyes trained on the bag, not wanting them to betray her.

"Speaking of Holly, isn't that her?" Andy pointed across the room.

"Holy shit," Chloe breathed out in awe.

"Ditto." Traci added, forced to set the heavy bar back on the rack, considering even her spotter was stunned.

And poor Gail nearly lost her damn footing as the punch she threw missed its mark at the distraction. And oh sweet Sapphos, was it distracting! How many times in one week was she supposed to resist the sight of Holly Stewart in short shorts and a sports bra? And to make it worse she now had to bear witness to all the glory of Holly on a fucking salmon ladder. She was only human and it really wasn't fair for the universe to keep tempting her like this.

"I think I'm a little gay for Holly too."

"I'm pretty sure I'm a lot gay for her, damn!"

"Please...can you just stop...can you just shut your faces," Gail begged. She silently prayed for the ground to just swallow her up so she wouldn't have to hear them anymore.

"Alright, come on, the guys are waiting on us at the Penny, let's hurry up." Traci snapped them all back to attention and thankfully for Gail the conversation shifted to Andy's newest relationship drama.

But even in her attempts to focus, her eyes every so often drifted over to Holly. She didn't want to, but it was like Holly had her own magnetic pull and try as she might she couldn't escape it. Unfortunately, it was also the reason she saw when smug-as-hell Detective Frankie Anderson rolled in. The older officer wasted no time making her way over to Holly. But they were too far away for Gail to hear what they were saying. But she could see that Holly was smiling, the amusement evident from across the room. And suddenly Gail found a renewed energy to punch the ever loving shit out of the hanging bag.

"Careful there slugger, or you're going to hurt yourself." Traci had switched out with Chloe a while ago after one of Gail's punches got a little too close to the redheaded officer's face.

But she ignored her and kept swinging and when the other women finally finished their workouts, Gail had continued to stay, still pounding away silently, every punch reverberating in her arm. But she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't care that come morning she probably wouldn't be able to pick up a pen, let alone be on patrol. Maybe, she'd just volunteer for desk duty or to hide away in evidence. Yeah, that could work.

"Hey, I thought you hated exercise."

Holly had that trademark lopsided grin on full display as she wandered behind the bag. It was way more distracting than Chloe's incessant chatter or Traci's mom speeches. And Gail could feel her heartrate picking up even though she had been exerting herself for over an hour.

"I enjoy punching things." Her right arm crossed over with a little extra flair for the sake of it.

"I can see that. Nice hook."

"If you really want to be impressed you should see me with a baton."

"That certainly sounds like a sight," Holly agreed, and Gail merely grunted in response, she kept her focus mostly on the bag between them, but she did slow her pace considerably.

"So I never got to ask," Holly's voice sounded weird. Like she was uncomfortable or something. It was enough to finally draw Gail's eyes to her, but now it was Holly's turn to fiddle with the bag, her thumb picking absently at a piece of tape. "How was your date the other night?"

Oh….that.

"Well, it seems my mother has slightly better taste in women then she does in men when it comes to blind dates. At least this one was able to take a hint and not proposition me."

"Was it really that bad?"

"I don't know….she was okay, I guess…." How did Gail explain that while the woman had been pretty and certainly well-bred considering she had Elaine Peck's stamp of approval, there had been no spark? That the entire night, Gail had had to restrain herself from texting Holly because she was the only woman she was thinking about through all the small talk and idle chit chat. That while this woman that Elaine had introduced her to was significantly better than the men (and unlike them had actually been good enough for a second chance), she wasn't the one Gail wanted to be on a date with.

How did she explain any of that?

"It just…" She faltered, but before she could finish her thought, an ominous ringtone started playing in her bag. It only meant one person.

"Speak of the devil." She let the call go to voicemail as she slipped off her gloves. Despite the tape on her hands, Gail could already see that they were turning red, she'd probably have bruises tomorrow. She groaned loudly after she heard the message that was left. "Superintendent Mom is setting me up on another blind date."

"So she's continuing her vendetta against spinsterhood."

"Probably thinks she saving me from almost getting married in Vegas...again."

"What?"

"Oh..umm..long story."

"I happen to enjoy stories. Long ones in fact are a personal fave."

"Explains the…" Gail started before being cut off quickly by the doctor.

"Books in bars, yes I know, you've mentioned." Holly finished with a suffering sigh.

Gail smirked, it was a running joke at that point. With Traci's words still ringing in her ears, and the easy smile on Holly's face for encouragement, she decided that maybe it was time to take a chance. She focused her eyes back on the bag, trying her best to punch the nerves right out of her system.

"Well...my brother told me about this new sushi place on King...and….well, it's always full. But since being the daughter of white shirts sometimes comes in handy, maybe we could get something to eat on Friday? I can ummm tell you that story."

The way Holly tilted her head to consider the question made Gail realize that maybe the she was picking up what Gail was putting down.

"Oh, I….can't."

Or maybe not. Gail tried her best to shrug it off, even as she felt disappointment coil around her stomach. "It's not a big deal. I just thought maybe if you were hungry…."

"No, no, I want to. It's just... I can't…. I have to work this weekend."

"Right, yeah, of course." Of course. She knew Holly had been taking on extra shifts, still trying to prove herself, considering she was the lowest in seniority and was the freshest out of fellowship. The young doctor may have already accomplished a lot in her short career, but she was still the new kid on the block as far as the Toronto lab was concerned.

She should've let it drop there. She really didn't know what possessed her to ask, maybe she just needed the validation. "Is that what the D was talking to you about?"

"The D? Detective Anderson? Oh...ummm...no," Okay now Holly definitely sounded uncomfortable. And clearly she was, considering she reached up to adjust glasses that weren't even on her face. Gail didn't miss the way she tried to make up for it by running a hand over her ponytail instead. "She was actually asking me out for a drink."

Yep, definitely awkward.

"Oh," was the only sound Gail was able to get out, because the disappointment coursing through her body had suddenly been joined an even more unpleasant feeling: jealousy.

"Yeah, but I uh...told her I couldn't."

"Cause you have to work."

"Ummm...yeah. Something like that."

There was something in the Holly's tone that had Gail's spidey senses tingling, that said there was more to the story, but Gail didn't get a chance to ask.

"Hey Peck, if you don't hurry your ass up and shower, no tequila for you." Andy shouted from the doorway, towel wrapped around her dripping hair.

Holly stepped back, tilting her head in Andy's direction "Your friends are waiting for you."

"Good."

"You're incorrigible, Officer Peck."

"You like me this way."

"Maybe." But the smile on Holly's face seemed to indicate a hard yes. "Enjoy your night, Gail."

Gail watched her walk away (what? it was a damn good sight) and caught the way Holly couldn't stop herself from looking back before she left completely. Hmmm….maybe she wasn't completely wrong.

* * *

Stepping out of the precinct Friday night, Gail just wanted to go home, drink some tequila, and eliminate the date from the calendar. No one in the station had seemed to realize that it was the day the world became significantly more awesome 27 years ago. No mention from Chloe, Traci, Andy, or Dov. Silence from her exes. Not even a fricking phone call from her parents remembering that it was her birthday. The only one exempt was her brother, who was undercover and unable to call. No cake, no presents, no acknowledgment in any way (except doughnuts with Oliver but that was a longstanding tradition). So yeah, even though she thought she couldn't possibly hate her birthday any more, that year took the cake, so to speak.

She was so focused on the disappointment that she almost didn't register the person waiting just on the street. But damn, did she notice now. Leather pants, leather jacket, the helmet, the motorcycle she was leaning against. The biker version of nerdy Holly Stewart was hot as fuck. It put her everyday sexy librarian look, and even her half-naked sporty look, to shame.

"Wow," Gail could barely breath but somehow her feet keep moving her closer. A moth to a flame didn't even begin to describe how badly she wanted to get burned right then.

Holly handed over a helmet once Gail was within reach. "Ready to go for a ride, Officer."

"I'm in love with your bike."

"Get in line." Holly patted the spot right behind her.

But Gail didn't budge, "You owe me driving privileges."

"I do, but we never established when those privileges had to be granted."

"I do not ride bitch."

But Holly ignored her, reaching forward to catch hold of the lapels of her open jacket and tugged her closer. Wait, was she still breathing? Gail wasn't sure she even remembered how to, let alone convinced that she actually was anymore as Holly smoothed her hands down the two sides of leather. She clicked the pieces at the bottom together before zipping back up until she reached the slender, pale neck where Gail was swallowing hard.

"Come on, Peck, it won't kill you to try something new."

Gail huffed (oh good she was breathing) and rolled her eyes before putting on the damn helmet, making sure the driver saw her displeasure clearly. But she still climbed onto the back of the bike. Except once she got there, she was suddenly reminded of how much of an awkward mess she was because she wasn't prepared for how much touching was about to be involved.

"You might want to hold on," Holly suggested.

Gail slipped her arms around Holly's waist, "I know it's been a while since a woman touched you, Nerd, try not to get too excited."

Gail couldn't hear Holly's laugh, but she could feel the way the muscles of her stomach tightened under her grip, and Gail's heart lept in a way that had very little to do with the jolting bike beneath her.

They drove for a while, and even though Gail didn't know where they were going, she also wasn't in any hurry to find out. The feeling of the wind whipping around them, the power of the bike, and the excuse to wrap herself tightly around Holly had Gail more than content to spend her entire birthday just riding aimlessly. But of course all good things come to end because it wasn't terribly long before Holly was signalling and they were pulling off the road.

Gail was quick to remove her helmet the moment they came to a full stop.

"Are you serious right now?" She couldn't hide her wonderment as she looked up at the racetrack.

Holly climbed off and offered her companion a hand. "Yep, come on I've got a surprise."

Gail let the doctor drag her through the gates, not pulling her hand away as they walked through the deserted area. Not even when they came to a stop in the empty arena.

"Ummm...Holls where is everyone?"

"Everyone who needs to be here, already is. And that over there, is your chariot, m'lady." Holly pointed to bright red stockcar that was waiting in the pit.

"What the what?! Holly, what is all this?"

"This is your surprise. Because you hate people but you like driving like a maniac and it's your birthday. You should do something you like on your birthday."

"You rented out this whole place just for me."

"My mom's a mechanic, she knows a guy."

"But…"

Holly just shook her head, she pressed a soft kiss to the pale cheek in front of her, a wide smile on her face. "Happy Birthday, Gail. Now, what are you waiting for?"

And with those words, Gail took off for her present with childlike abandon and Holly's gorgeous laugh ringing in her ears. Her own face hurt from smiling so widely.

* * *

"How'd you know it was my birthday?"

They were on their way back to Holly's bike, walking side-by-side, hands brushing every so often, but neither woman taking the initiative to just intertwine them like they both wanted.

Holly leaned further in and nudged her playfully with an elbow. "The real question is why didn't you tell me it was?"

Gail shrugged and looked away, she kicked at the dirt slightly with her feet. "You were busy."

"Not too busy for this."

"You said you had to work."

"I switched shifts." She left out the part where she now owed Rodney a huge favor, but Gail didn't need to know that part. "I'm still on call though, so let's just hope no mysterious dead bodies show up tonight."

"So who told you then?"

"Chloe."

"Price barely spoke to me all day! She didn't mention it once."

"Oh, right, that's probably because she was planning a surprise party for you."

"A surprise party? But I hate parties."

"I know that's why I'm telling you now. It was supposed to be today, but I figured you wouldn't want it and so I kinda asked her to let me have the day with you. Hope you don't mind."

"Mind? Holls I just spent the last few hours getting to drive a car with 600 HP getting to go literally as fast as I wanted instead of having to make small talk and get hugged by people I see every single day."

"Damn, I knew I should've let you go to the party."

Gail playfully swatted at the laughing brunette.

"So, are you ready for Part 2?"

"There's more?"

"Only if you want."

"Oh I want. I definitely want."

"Alright, then you gotta take the backseat again." Holly handed back her helmet.

"What? I still haven't earned driver status."

"After what I just witnessed, I'm regretting that deal with every fiber of my being. Come on, birthday girl, time's a ticking."

"She's going to try to surprise me tomorrow isn't she?" Gail asked as she settled behind Holly once more.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss such a possibility," Holly demurred as she kicked the bike back into gear.

* * *

The next stop turned out to be an old-fashioned arcade. Gail loved arcades. They always reminded her of afternoons with her brother when they wanted to escape their parents. It was just time for the two of them to to hang out without all the pressure.

"So what do you say, Peck, want to put your luck to the test?"

"Game on, Nerdette."

Frogger, air hockey; street fighter; racing games; shooting games; pinball; skeeball; Whac-a-mole. It had been a valiant effort, but Holly had suffered defeat at the hands of the cocky blonde all over the arcade. Even the damn claw machine had betrayed her.

"It just isn't statistically probable that you would win at everything you do." Holly complained after they finished cashing out the ridiculous number of tickets Gail had managed to secure.

"And yet….I'm the one with the giant stuffed doughnut." Gail had also earned a foot massage after her next double shift, breakfast all week, and Holly agreeing to help her scam the rest of the rookies the next time Dov wanted to do his stupid trivia night. All in all a successful outing if she said so herself (oh, and she had, repeatedly).

"But, no one is that good?" Holly was a scientist afterall, but her little experiment had backfired big time.

"You're right, maybe you're just that bad."

"You think you're so cute."

"No, I _know_ I'm cute," Gail corrected her, causing Holly to roll her eyes, but she didn't miss the slight upward twitch of the corners of her lips because of course Gail was looking at her lips.

Damn it, Gail needed a new distraction. "So what's next on the agenda?"

"Well, I still need to give you your gift. So the plan was to head back to my place." Holly paused in front of her motorcycle and held out her keys. "Think you can get us there in one piece?"

"Of course," Gail was a little too enthusiastic about her chance to cash in on their previous wager.

"This is not going end well for me is it?"

"This is going to end wonderfully for both of us."

"You are literally the worst influence on my life."

"You're welcome."

And now that the roles were reversed as they settled on to the bike, Gail realized that her mocking earlier in the night had nothing on how distracting having Holly's arms wrapped tightly around her. She wondered if it had more to do with Holly's actual fear of her driving or if she was just enjoying the opportunity to touch her.

"Ready, Nerd?"

"As I'll ever be."

Gail laughed and kicked them into drive, and yeah there really was no comparison to the thrill she got from the power of the bike and the way Holly's body felt pressed so tightly to her. She would definitely be taking the long way home.

* * *

"And now I remember why I've never let anyone else drive her, ever." Holly jokingly (mostly) complained as they walked into the doctor's home.

"Not even any of your girlfriends?"

"God, no, my relationship with that bike is my longest one yet. It survived much longer than any of them."

"Holly Stewart: Heart-breaker Extraordinaire. That's the diploma on the far left of your office right?"

"Hardly, I'm the dumpee not the dumper. Got my Ph.D. in it and everything."

"Was that before or after the medical degree?"

"Hmmm...earned my bachelor's in it prior, had a Master's by the time med school ended, and finished my dissertation back in Montréal."

"Are you ever going to tell me about the mysterious Montréal relationship?"

"Are you going to tell me about Vegas?"

"Touché. But it is my birthday so technically you should probably do what I want today."

"You're right, it is your birthday, which we should definitely get back to. Wait right here."

Holly vanished before Gail could protest. But it was obvious Holly still didn't want to talk about whatever happened prior to her coming to Toronto. It was frustrating, because Gail knew that that relationship was the reason Holly had sworn off relationships and it was definitely a contributing factor to why Holly still hadn't made a move even after Gail basically gave her the go-ahead before Lisa's inopportune phone call the previous week.

When Holly returned she was carrying both an envelope and a small cake with a candle already lit. She sang a very off-key version of Happy Birthday that had Gail smiling in genuine admiration. Holly finished just as she reached the couch where Gail was still seated.

"Make a wish."

Gail knew what she wanted to wish for, had known for awhile, and every day they spent together had just made her more and more certain. She kept her eyes fixed on Holly's, making the wish silently, but never straying even as she leaned forward and blew out the small flame.

"Happy Birthday, Gail, I hope your wish comes true."

"Me too."

"But in the meantime," Holly placed the cake on the nearby table and held out a card, "How about you open this?"

Gail bypassed the outstretched envelope, catching hold of Holly's wrist and tugging her down onto the couch beside her. She waited until Holly settled comfortably just beside her, thigh-to-thigh, shoulder-to-shoulder, every inch touching not seeming like enough but it would have to do for now, before accepting the card, but she still didn't open it.

"You really didn't have to get me a gift, you've already done more than you should've tonight."

Holly stretched an arm along the back of the couch behind Gail, her other adjusting her glasses before running through her long hair in that nervous way of hers. "It's not a big deal, really."

"I didn't deserve any of this."

Holly's hand dropped to just above Gail's jean-clad knee. The gentle pressure resonating through her entire body. "You deserve all of this and more. You've been the best surprise I've gotten since moving to Toronto, Gail, so I thought I'd pay you back for it. Now please open your gift."

Gail was smiling even before she opened the cheesy card and noticed the tickets nestled inside.

"Are you shitting me? Holls, this show has been sold out for weeks!"

"Well I thought this was going to be your Christmas present since someone hadn't told me when her birthday was."

That fucking hand gave another gentle squeeze that Gail was sure was supposed to go along with the friendly gest, but fucking hell if it wasn't doing some very unfriendly things to Gail's body.

"I can't believe… Holly, all of this has been perfect." She meant it. No one had ever known her this well, known everything she liked-loved, and brought it all together. "You've been perfect."

"Hardly."

"I mean it, Holls. You're perfect."

"Please don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Put me up on some kind of a pedestal."

"Why not? You deserve it." And so much more, she added to herself.

"Because things on pedestals are meant to be admired, but they're untouchable." Holly paused, the hand burning a fire on Gail's thigh shifted higher until it reached her own hand, where Holly tangled their fingers together. Her voice dropped even lower, "And I really want you to be able to touch me, Gail."

Gail's heart was pounding, every nerve fiber tingling with anticipation. "In that case, how about we make my birthday wish come true?"

"Thought you weren't supposed to tell people your wishes," Holly teased as she tucked an errant blonde hair behind Gail's ear, the gap between them closing slowly but surely.

"Then it's a good thing talking isn't required."

Holly smirked but her eyes drifted down to Gail's lips, so Gail took the initiative and started to move in, slowly, tentatively, wanting to enjoy every damn moment of finally getting what she wanted since that stupid bet with the stupid boys. But the boys were definitely not what she was thinking about just then, not when Holly was so close and every second they had spent together had been leading them right there. And she paused, it was just a few more millimeters to Holly's lips, but she knew that this was going to be a moment worth remembering, worth savoring and it was just within reach….

A dulled ringing sounded from Holly's back pocket and it had the brunette pulling away once more.

That fucking phone! "I'm going to fucking shoot that thing," Gail growled.

Holly dropped her head into the crook of Gail's neck and let out a low groan, a sentiment being echoed by Gail's tense body.

"It's probably work."

"Of course it is."

Holly made an apologetic face, even as she answered, "Stewart."

Gail waited quietly for the call to end, wishing that Holly wasn't being called out to some crime scene somewhere that wasn't there, wasn't on the couch with Gail where they could easily pick up where they left off. But Holly had to work and Gail had to calm her body back to a semi-functioning level at least until she could take a cold shower.

"I have to go."

"Yeah, no, I get it. I should probably get going too."

"You don't have to. I mean-I know I probably won't be home for awhile-but, you could stay. You know, if you wanted. And...we should talk. We can talk in the morning. I can make you breakfast, I have that maple bacon that you like."

"I can't," Gail breathed out a disappointed sigh as she stood up, because Holly and bacon seemed like a dream combination right then, "I have to cover that construction project on Seventh and the crew starts early."

"Right, yeah."

"But tomorrow? You'll be at my surprise party right?"

"I might have to work, but I'll try my best."

Gail nodded, "Seriously though Holls, thank you for everything tonight."

"Happy birthday, Gail." Holly pressed a kiss to corner of Gail's lips before grabbing keys so they both could leave.

And it wasn't how either of them wanted their night to end, but there was always tomorrow, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, one more chapter to go for this one. And before anyone asks: yes, I am working on Freedom so maybe there's an update in the not super distant future for that one too. Then again maybe I'll just crawl back into my hole and continue to hide from the world. Who knows...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, gang, this is the final installment for this one. As always, let me know what you think. And thank you so much for the love and support this little one-shot turn short story has received.
> 
> TW: Lisa makes an appearance...you've been warned...

 

Gail had been waiting all night. Chloe really had thrown her a "surprise" party at the Penny but Gail hadn't cared at all about the people, or the attempted hugs, or even the presents. She did however partake in the free drinks while remaining constantly glued to her phone as she waited for Holly to show. The pathologist had warned Gail that she would be late, that a case had come in that day that meant Holly would need to work into the night. But tequila combined with the buzz still present in her body from the  _almost_  kiss the night before made it impossible for Gail to put the phone away.

"What's got the birthday girl so distracted?" Oliver plucked the device from his friend's hand, grabbing a seat, and holding her at arm's length.

"Give it back, Oliver."

"Oh no, nope, it is your party and even though you can cry if you want to, you, my darling Peckling, cannot spend the entire time on your phone. Unless of course, you tell me what has you so distracted."

"Nothing. I'm not distracted at all."

"Then how am I holding your phone right now?"

"Tequila." Gail replied resolutely as she finally snatched it back. "And you're a ninja."

"That I am, Peckeroo, buuuuuuuuut you are usually almost at my level of awesomeness."

"I am always awesome."

"You, however, are not always distracted. This have anything to do with your friend from the forensics lab."

Gail's eye narrowed suspiciously, "You've been talking to the others."

"I have eyes, Peck. But, yes, I also have ears. You know it's funny how relationships start, huh? I mean, who you end up with. Sometimes it's the last person that you would expect."

"Oh, my God."

"Or that other people would expect."

"We're not really having this conversation, are we?"

"But who cares what people think, right? As long as you're happy. Of course, it's gonna mean some life changes. But I guess well, I just said it: Life changes. Yeah, so you want to date a witch, you know, buy some old cabin on a whim. You know, basically to impress her.  
Or after knowing her for an insanely short amount of time, ask her to move in with you, you know? But that's okay, right? Because she makes you happy."

"We're talking about you."

"Who did you think we were talking about?"

"No, nope, no-one. Not a one"

"By the way Dr. Stewart just walked in."

The way Gail whipped around in her chair in the direction of the door had Oliver chuckling, but she was too enamored to care. Because sure enough, there was Holly in all her nerdy glory. She looked like she had rushed over, her cheeks stained pink from the November air. She watched as Holly's big brown eyes swept through the room, until they landed on Gail and then she was graced with that smile, the one that pulled up just a bit higher on one side. And Gail's heart started hammering away as Holly headed in her direction.

"Holly, hey." Gail was pretty sure she was smiling too widely if the way the muscles in cheeks were burning.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"You said that already."

"You know it sounded familiar."

Oliver cleared his throat "Hey, Doc."

"Hi Officer Shaw."

"Please call me Oliver."

"Then please call me Holly."

"Well, Holly, now that you're here maybe the birthday girl will finally partake in her own festivities."

Gail's eyes were still fixed on Holly's, she hadn't even glanced in her friend's direction once. "Go away, Ollie."

"Going away. But guns and shoes, Peck, you and me. Next weekend."

"It's a date."

Gail barely waited for Oliver to be out of earshot before loudly exclaiming "Finally!"

"I told you I had to work" Holly's voice sounded tired and little guilty.

Gail got off her seat, grabbing hold of Holly's hand, "Yes, but now we can leave." She started to head in the direction that Holly had just come.

But Holly didn't budge, "I only just got here, and it's your party."

"But I'm bored." She whined petulantly..

"You, Gail Peck, are bored with free alcohol? Are you feeling alright?" Holly pressed her free hand against Gail's forehead in mock seriousness, and Gail could barely contain the sigh she wanted to release at the feel of Holly's touch on her skin.

"I'm bored of people not alcohol."

Holly nodded, the hand she had pressed against Gail's skin shifted up to push long hair out of blue eyes. "You hate people."

"I do."

"It's still your party."

"Fine, we can drink then leave. Twist my arm why don't cha?"

"And how much have you had to drink already, birthday girl?" Holly asked as Gail dragged her towards the bar instead.

"Only a little." Gail held up her forefinger and thumb only a few centimeters apart. She didn't notice Traci standing over her shoulder mouthing the word "A lot" and holding her hands far apart.

"Mmhmm."

* * *

Drinking free drinks that her friends supplied meant getting pulled into conversations with the money bags. Not that it was terrible hanging out with people on a day dedicated to how awesome she was, but Gail spent everyday with these people, and the only one she really wanted to be with was Holly. Which was probably why despite all the people talking around them, Gail couldn't stop herself from stealing glances at her crush every chance she got. It was how she noticed that the doctor wasn't acting like herself. Holly was definitely the more sociable of the two of them. Anytime the doctor was hanging out with her and her friends she was always engaged in the conversations, laughing along to the corny jokes, and easily ingratiating herself with the close-knit group. And yet, Holly was doing none of those things. The brunette was quietly standing there, nodding along to whoever was speaking but it was clear her mind was elsewhere and the drink her hand had remained untouched.

"Why does your face look like that?"

"Ouch."

"Let me rephrase why do you have your thinking face on and not your drinking face on?"

"What's my drinking face?"

"Not your thinking face."

"Which would be…."

"That." Gail poked at the furrowed lines along Holly's forehead, she tried to smooth them but her coordination was a little off.

Holly sighed and placed her full glass back onto the bar top. "It's nothing."

It wasn't nothing. It was definitely something. And Gail had a feeling she knew what.

"You were working on that case today. The triple homicide and the skeleton?"

"I was...how'd you hear about that?"

"Look around, Dr. Stewart, you are in a cop bar where cops talk about cop things while consuming alcoholic beverages to forget about said cop things."

"Right, yeah, of course."

"But you aren't drinking because you're still thinking about doctory things."

"It's not important. It can wait. The evidence will still be there in the morning, right?"

Even as the words left Holly's lips, Gail could tell she didn't mean them. That it was probably a phrase the pathologist had been told time and again but that held no meaning for her. She knew that Holly wanted to be in the lab working and yet she was willing to sacrifice her time to be at a party just because Gail asked her to be. She suddenly knew what the Grinch felt like as her heart swelled.

Making a decision, she stood up, and pulled her leather jacket off the back of a nearby chair. "Alright let's go."

"Go where?"

"To the lab."

"Gail, we can't go to the lab. It's your party, we're here to celebrate."

"Well I'm going to the lab. Are you going to allow an intoxicated person to wreck havoc upon your domain, Dr. Stewart? Or are you going to come chaperone?"

With that parting shot Gail made a beeline for the door, before Chloe or anyone else could stop them. She knew Holly would follow. Could feel it in her bones, that no matter where she went Holly wouldn't leave her on her own. Sure enough, it was only a couple of minutes in the cool Toronto night air before she heard the bar door slamming shut and footsteps rushing to catch up to her as she reached the end of the street.

"Pretty sure I could have you arrested for being drunk and disorderly."

"Nuh uh Lunchbox. I put the cuffs on women, not the other way around." If she was able to see better in the dark night she might've noticed the way Holly's cheeks colored at the comment. But Gail just continued on with her taunts as they walked side by side, "Plus, there's no one to arrest me, everyone is still inside. So it looks like it's just you and me, Nerd."

Holly knocked their shoulders together playfully. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you planned this."

"Hardly." Gail scoffed. "I'm an opportunist, Holly. When I see an opportunity, I take it." Unless you counted all the near-kisses, in which case Gail was batting a big, fat zero.

"You do know that's not really a good thing."

Gail stopped abruptly, catching Holly's hand and pulling her close. Her hands slipped to Holly's hips, thumbs brushing along the line of her belt. "Depending on the opportunity, it can be a great thing." She was close enough to see the way Holly swallowed thickly, and if she leaned in it would be easy to capture Holly's lips. But she didn't because that wasn't why they had left. Gail Peck was on a mission, and not even the proximity of Holly's tantalizing lips could deter her.

She pulled away just as abruptly and walked over to the door that had appeared on their right. She swiped the newly pilfered I.D. badge of Dr. Holly Stewart and pulled the door open. She smirked when she turned back and noticed that the pathologist was still rooted to her spot on the sidewalk.

"Coming?"

Gail was fairly certain she heard Holly mutter "Not yet" as she passed.

"What was that?"

"I said that's not yours." Holly covered as she reached over to reclaim her badge, clipping it back in its usual place on her belt.

"Finders keepers."

"I'm adding petty theft to your list of charges, Officer."

"Hey, who are you calling petty, you're missing an "r" there."

"Maybe." Holly's eyes raked over her form and it caused a shiver to run down Gail's spine in the best way possible.

"Alright, Doctor Stewart, are we here to discuss my good looks or are we here to solve a crime?"

"It's called multitasking, Officer Peck. Something I happen to be very,  _very_  good at." It was Holly's turn to wink and saunter past as she entered her lab once more. Gail faithfully followed.

* * *

Having consumed her fair share of liquor prior to Holly's arrival meant that the intoxicated officer had been placed on a stool in a corner far away from any evidence. And as annoying as it was to be that far from Holly, she had to admit that she was enjoying the view. Holly Stewart in the lab was quite the sight (and not just because of the whitecoat). It certainly wasn't Gail's first time in the lab but she was usually dropping something off or picking something up or just swinging by for a quick distraction, which always meant Holly would stop what she was doing to attend to her. She had never really had the time to actually sit and watch. Probably didn't help that sitting still wasn't really one of her strong suits. She swayed from side to side, unable to stop fidgeting, even as her eyes remained locked on the pathologist who was engrossed in examining the human remains in front of her.

"Sorry this is so boring." Holly commented, holding up a fibula under a magnifying glass.

"Who said I was bored?"

"You're sitting over there, quietly, while I work. You must be bored."

"Actually I'm brushing up on my medical jurisprudence. I hear it's never too late." Gail grabbed the nearest medical journal off of Holly's desk and opened to a random page. " 'Coronary Atherosclerosis: An Analysis of an Autopsy.' Do you really read this stuff?"

"I wrote that stuff."

Gail nodded, even more impressed. She knew Holly was scary levels of smart, but she was also a relatively new face in her field, and yet she had already managed to accomplish a lot in such a short time. She did glance at the byline all the same and sure enough Stewart, H.F. was listed there.

"What does the F stand for?"

"Flores, it's Mom's last name."

"I thought you said your mom was the Stewart."

"I did. I have two and considering they named me Holly, I think Moms took pity on me."

"So raised by lesbians, that why you're one?"

"Undoubtedly, being raised by two strong, accomplished, caring women is the only reason I'm attracted to the fairer sex. It's all very Freudian."

"Figured as much."

"Yep." Holly popped the "p", a smirk on her face even as she stayed bent over the remains on her table. "So what's your excuse?"

Gail had known that Holly wouldn't let her get away with her snark without firing off a shot of her own. "I met a strong, accomplished, caring woman."

Holly glanced up, the smirk morphing into a legitimate smile that stole Gail's breath from her chest. She had to look away, focusing her attention back on the papers in her hands.

"Whoa nelly."

Gail was supposed to stay in her seat but hearing the wonder in Holly's voice had her up and migrating towards the doctor, her feet carrying her without much thought. "What?"

"His left pelvic bones, his left femur, his left ribcage. This isn't deterioration. He suffered a major impact trauma. Look here." Holly pointed towards the skeleton on her table.

"Yeah. No, I just see bones."

"Well, this guy was hit by a vehicle. You can tell by the consistency of the breaks. But this break here. That's called a hangman's fracture, it caused by hyperextension and distraction resulting in spondylolisthesis of the axis."

"English please."

"It means he broke his neck, likely in a motor vehicle collision."

"Like if someone had rammed him off the road at a high speed. On purpose." She knew the detectives working on the case and their theories. If Holly was right this would go a long way towards proving them.

"Precisely."

Gail could see the excitement radiating off of the pathologist as she went back to examining the bones, putting pieces of the puzzle together. And Gail was more than content to watch as Holly explained each and every finding. At some point blue nitrile gloves found their way onto her hands and she stayed, glued to the doctor's side, getting to be a part of something new and different for a change.

* * *

Gail stirred slightly as she felt a gentle touch brushing along her hair. She barely cracked open her eyes, but when she did she was greeted by the sight of Holly looking down at her with a fond smile and a coffee cup in her hand.

"Hey sleepyhead."

"Did you solve the mystery?"

"I think so."

"Of course you did. You're a badass Dr. Stewart." Gail sleepily commented as she pulled her feet off of Holly's desk and dragged herself up into a proper sitting position in the leather chair. She was too exhausted to even notice how nice the comment could be perceived. Really, not one of her finer works. She yawned widely and stretched her arms above her head, extending her back until she felt a satisfactory pop as her spine realigned. She could feel Holly's eyes on her as she rubbed the sleep from her own tired eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just- why aren't you upset? You just spent most of your birthday party in the lab watching me work. I completely lost track of time, and now you have to go to work without a proper night's sleep."

Gail stood up and stole the cup still from Holly's hand. She took a sip, humming in contentment when it was made just right.

"I like the lab. I could live here. And as for sleep, I'm a cop, Holly, we don't exactly work a regular 9-5. Try working three all-nighters in a row with only Dov for company and then consume meat cocktails."

"That sounds awful."

"Exactly, so why are you so surprised? Think that little of me, Doc? Not tough enough for you?"

"Of course not. It's just that most people get annoyed for my work habits."

"You mean the mysterious ex."

"I mean multiple exes, but yeah her too."

"Well then that's a good reason for them to be your exes."

Holly adjusted her glasses. A nervous habit. "It's not them. It's me. I'm a workaholic, more committed to being here than being home, and way more invested in my relationship with the dead than any living person."

"Was that her speech?".

Holly nodded.

"If I ever meet this woman I'm going to punch her in the face."

"Why would you do that? She's right, and not the only one to tell me that."

"Then I'll punch them all." Gail explained as she put her cup down on the desk and took a hold of Holly's face instead, her thumbs moving gently along her jawline. "Anyone who makes you look that sad deserves to get punched."

Holly laughed but she closed her eyes and pressed further into Gail's touch. Gail waited until she opened her eyes again, she wanted Holly to know how sincere her next words were.

"I mean it, Lunchbox. No one is allowed to shit on you because you're passionate about what you do. It's important and you're amazing at it"

"I just...sometimes I have trouble turning off my brain."

"Maybe you just need the right motivation." Gail suggested quietly, the words falling into the small space between their lips. She could feel Holly's hands on her hips pulling her body closer. Her eyes darted from Holly's to her lips before fluttering closed as she leaned in.

"Dr. Stewart?"

Both women cursed under their breaths as Holly took a large step back. As usual, an interruption arrived before their lips could touch. This time in the form of Holly's intern knocking on her door.

"Yes, Rodney."

Gail shot daggers at the nervous man as his head popped in.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Gray would like to speak to you about the case from last night."

"Of course, I'll be there in a minute."

The door shut and the two women were left alone once more, but they both knew it would be short-lived as the lab was already filling up with people again.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I gotta head over to the precinct and shower before parade. Go on, Nerd, go impress your boss with that brilliant brain of yours."

"Raincheck?"

"Only if you promise to turn your phone off and lock your door before you cash it in." Gail pressed a kiss to Holly's cheek. "Smell ya later, Lunchbox."

* * *

The raincheck remained uncashed for the rest of the week. It was a week filled with lingering looks, and small touches anytime they passed one another whether in the lab or the precinct but Toronto's criminals had clearly decided to murder Cupid in addition to one another as they saw to it that both women were kept swamped with work, their hours not even close to aligning. And when Gail finally had a night off she found herself at a fundraiser at Traci's son's school. All of the cops went but it was Aunt Gail who had stolen the show.

Of course, it had all been well and good when she was up on a stage with a bunch of cheering kids and Traci standing there with the hair clipper buzzing, but now she was standing just outside of Holly's office hesitant to knock. She wasn't sure the reaction she was about to get and she rubbed nervously at the back of her exposed neck. Well, she couldn't exactly undo it, so it was time to rip off the band aid.

"Come in."

Of course, Holly was poured over her computer, fingers tapping away quickly at the keyboard, too engrossed to even look up from her work.

"Hey, you hungry?"

At her voice, a smile immediately graced Holly's features even before her eyes turned towards the door. But when they did, it was almost comical the way the jaw slackened.

"Your hair?"

The words came tumbling out fast "I lost a bet to Traci and had to help with her son Leo's fundraiser for cancer at school. It was this," Gail ran her hand through the super short locks now adorning her head "Or working with a bunch of moms and carrying a clipboard. Since you know how well I play with others, I thought this was the safer option. Plus, if you had seen Leo's face, it was well worth it considering I was the only woman up on the stage."

Holly still hadn't said a word as she stood up from her chair, and crossed the room to where Gail was still nervously shifting near the doorway. She didn't even hesitate to brush her fingers through the shorn locks.

"Can you say something, please? I already lost a bet today, and now I'm standing in your office with no hair. Words would be nice."

"You look…." Holly started to say but the words didn't come, her eyes were still moving quickly, taking in every detail of her hair, her face, before meeting Gail's eyes. "Wow."

"Monosyllabic? Are you sure you earned all those degrees hanging up in your office?"

"Found them in cracker jack boxes."

"I knew it!" Gail laughed as Holly shoved her playfully. "So wow is the best you can come up with?"

"Really seemed to encapsulate it. You look amazing, Gail. I mean you always do, but this new cut is hot."

"Didn't know short hair was your thing."

"I didn't either." Holly blushed, "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Gail smiled and nodded, it was really adorable the way Holly's cheeks tinged pink.

Holly ran her fingers through the hair again, she couldn't seem to stop. "Traci did this?"

"Leo did, Traci fixed it up a bit when he was done."

"Maybe you should make bets with her more often."

Gail groaned slightly. "Don't let her hear you say that."

Yep, Gail had finally lost a bet against one of her friends. But with the way Holly's hands kept brushing through the buzzcut, it didn't really feel like losing. Unfortunately time was not on her side.

"I need to get to the station, those streets aren't going to patrol themselves. And make sure you actually eat this, I'm assuming you've been working all day without a break." Gail pulled away and handed Holly the bag she had brought with her containing Holly's favorite sandwich.

"Guilty. Oh...ummm...speaking of fundraisers….how do you feel about being a plus one?"

* * *

Gail and Holly had just dropped their coats off, still laughing about the coat check girl who couldn't be found and were barely through the door of the banquet hall when a woman that Gail didn't recognize came rushing over to them

"Thank God you're here."

"What's up, Rach?"

Oh. This was Rachel. Gail knew that she was one of Holly's best friends since Uni and that she was a pediatrician who specialized in cystic fibrosis. Gail had gotten an earful about her research studies and the fundraiser on the ride over. And just like with her own work, Holly was just as passionate about her friends accomplishments, gushing about them the entire time. Honestly Gail couldn't even complain, she could probably listen to Holly read the phonebook and she would still enjoy it.

"One of the women had to bail at the last minute and now we need a replacement." Rachel was already pleading and the words weren't even out yet.

Holly shook her head adamantly. "I already told you, I'm not doing it. I will donate whatever you want but I am not getting up on that stage. Go ask, Lisa."

"She's already in it. So am I. Please, Holls, I need you."

Holly didn't want to be a part of the show. Her reluctance evident in her entire demeanor, but her best friend was begging and it was hard to resist. "Rachel…"

Gail could feel Holly's discomfort radiating off of her. She didn't like it.

"I'll do it." She offered with a nonchalant shrug.

"You will?!" Both Rachel and Holly were shocked.

"It's for a good cause, right?"

"Definitely." Rachel assured her, her head nodding up and down with Chloe-level enthusiasm.

"So yeah I'll do it."

She startled when the woman, Rachel, hugged her and while Gail didn't push her away per say, she also didn't reciprocate. Hugging wasn't really how she communicated, except with Holly. Only Holly.

Rachel pulled back, "Oh my god, you're amazing. Even if Holly failed to introduce us."

Holly cleared her throat, a smile on her face from watching the awkward hugging incident. "Rachel, this is Gail. Gail, this is my incredibly desperate friend Rachel."

"Wait, you're Gail. As in the officer that Holly can't stop talking about. No wonder she stopped letting me set her up with people."

Gail cocked an eyebrow, flashing a smile at Holly who averted her gaze and reached up to adjust her glasses, forgetting that she wasn't wearing them. "That so?"

"Anytime you want to shut up, Rach, I'd appreciate it." Holly growled.

Rachel nodded, already being called away to deal with another crisis. She looked at Gail, a quick scan and an appropriately impressed expression, "Okay, you are already gorgeous, but there's an area set up in the back where you can wait, and freshen up if you want to. The auction is going to start in a few minutes."

As soon as Rachel darted off, Holly turned to Gail, "You really don't have to do this."

It really hadn't been on Gail's list of plans for the night when she had gotten picked up by Holly. No, getting auctioned off for a date to a room full of doctors and rich people wasn't a part of the plan. And in all honesty she had been relieved when Holly told her that she wasn't participating either, that they were just going to support Rachel, talk up her friend, and make a donation. But she could tell Holly had been torn between her desire to help and her absolute abhorrence of the idea of being put on display for people to bid on. Plus, Gail's pockets weren't exactly deep enough to guarantee that she would be the one walking away with a date with Holly at the end of the night and there was no way in hell she could sit idly by while someone else won.

But she wasn't about to tell Holly  _any_ of that.

"I don't know, your friend did seem pretty desperate."

"She can find another person."

"Worried someone else might win a date with yours truly." Gail teased.

"Just don't want you to feel like you have to do something you don't want to."

"No worries, Lunchbox, but I do hope you brought your checkbook."

"Oh trust me, that part you do not have to worry about." Holly reassured her. They could hear Rachel calling for all the participants to go back stage. As Gail went to pull away, Holly caught her hand. "Wait Gail, just do me a favor, and don't listen to anything Lisa says."

"Of course not." Gail replied cockily. She didn't even know what Lisa looked like.

* * *

"You know you're not good enough for her, right."

Gail reluctantly pulled her eyes from where she had seen Holly talking to a group of donors, and turned to face the voice insulting her.

"And who the hell would you be?" She snarled at the brunette who was glaring right back at her.

"Holly's best friend. And as such, I'm going to tell you that you may be gorgeous and after everything that happened in Montréal she thinks she wants something that's uncomplicated...and simple….but this isn't going to last. Holly is out of your league.."

"You must be Lisa."

"The one and only."

Thank god for that. She remembered Holly's words from before. But it was easier said than done to ignore the botched boob job when she was standing right in front her spewing her vitriol "As one of Holly's friends I'm going to give you just enough leeway that I don't tase you in the eye, but I highly suggest you shut the fuck up and get out of my face."

"Or what? You think I'm intimidated by some beat cop who chases Holly around like some kind of puppy."

Gail opened her mouth, ready to snap but she was interrupted by Rachel who had heard the commotion. "Lisa, what the hell are you doing? Leave Gail alone, she is literally my life-saver tonight."

"I'm just giving some friendly advice."

"Please tell me you did not insult her." Rachel was clearly exasperated with their friend, something that was usually the norm when dealing with the plastic surgeon.

But Lisa just shrugged, "I just told her the truth. That Holly is too good for her and she should probably just get out now before anyone gets hurt."

"I can't believe you did this again, and right now. I really don't have time for this." Rachel glared at the unrepentant brunette before turning to Gail. "What our asshole friend is trying to say is that Holly has gotten hurt in the past, very hurt, by people who don't appreciate her for the amazing person she is. So please don't be one of those people."

"I know Holly's amazing." Gail assured her.

She had known from that first moment in the Penny, when Holly had decided that a book was more entertaining than anyone around her. She had witnessed it time and again the more she learned about Holly, her accomplishments, her passions. She was the recipient of it on her birthday. No one needed to tell Gail that Holly was amazing, she was everything that Gail didn't know she had been looking for.

"Good, then there shouldn't be a problem. Thank you again for doing this. You're awesome." She turned back to the other doctor who was still glaring at Gail, "Lisa you're a fuck-twit, please shut up and stay away from Gail or I'm going to tell Holly that you're being a dick."

Lisa rolled her eyes but left to talk to some of the other people. "Please tell me that Holly warned you about her."

"She told me not to listen to a word she says." But the things Lisa said were bringing all her insecurities to the surface, opening old wounds about not being good enough. Hell, they weren't even a couple, they had never been on a real date, and they hadn't even kissed yet. She wanted to be, but even Holly's friends didn't think she was good enough, it would only be a matter of time before Holly felt the same.

"That is great advice, probably why Holly graduated top of our class. Please do exactly that. I know it might seem like we have questionable taste in friends thanks to Lisa but she's just really protective." Rachel was sincere but also on a time crunch and was already being called out to do the opening speech. "Also for the record, I've never heard Holly talk about anyone the way she talks about you, so if you are even half as great as she makes you out to be, then I'm sure we'll get along. Oh, and if you need any extra motivation, I've always found proving Lisa wrong to be some of the best."

Gail nodded and with a reassuring squeeze of her shoulder (at least, it wasn't a hug that time) Rachel was heading off to the stage.

Gail stood in the back. Lisa's words were hanging heavily on her and she had half a mind to just take off and bail on the whole thing. Leave Holly and her bitchy friend behind. She could probably be halfway to wasted at the Penny within the hour. But just as she was looking for the exit, she got a text.

Opening her phone, she found herself laughing at the message from Holly.

**Lunchbox: I know I shouldn't be telling a cop this, but I just robbed a bank. No one stands a chance tonight ;)**

There was a picture of monopoly money attached. God, the woman was such a nerd. Gail looked up and caught the crooked smile on Holly's face as the doctor waved at her from the audience. Maybe Rachel was right, maybe she would stay. Afterall, she loved proving people wrong.

* * *

"So I guess you weren't kidding about that bank heist."

"I figured I'd need it if I was going to compete."

"Didn't take you for the competitive type, Lunchbox."

"You've never seen me play softball."

Holly was walking Gail up to her door like a proper gentlewoman. Between the insults, auction, and the schmoozing it had been a long night. And at that point Gail just wanted to get out of her heels and into her bed. She was digging through her bag for her keys when she felt Holly's gentle touch on her arm.

"I heard a rumor that Lisa was bothering you before the show, want to tell me what she said?"

Gail shrugged, she really didn't want to repeat any of things that were said. Even if they were true, she didn't want to be the one to remind Holly of them. She fidgeted with her bag. "Nothing I didn't already know."

"Oh, so she told you how utterly amazing you are."

She looked up, "Holls..."

"How you are constantly surprising me with your endless compassion and before you say anything, I've witnessed it, Peck. Like helping out one of my friends when you've never even met her or shaving all your hair off for your nephew all for charity. You are smart, and snarky, and morbidly hilarious. And I know Lisa is a bitch so she probably gave you her version of the shovel talk, but please don't let anything she says stop you from giving me- giving us a chance, because I want that date I won to be a real date, one of many. And, yeah, I just...I just thought you should know. I don't know why I didn't tell you sooner. I mean we tell each other stuff, right? That's what's so great about us hanging out, and I guess-"

Gail cut off the rambling Holly in the only way that seemed possible, by forcefully crashing their lips together before anyone or anything could stop them. And it broke everything, every feeling, every  _almost_ , every  _could be_  wide open.

The kiss broke but Gail barely allowed any distance between them. "I'm sorry. You just-you just had to stop talking."

"I won't say another word," Holly swore.

And Gail leaned in again, this time slower, softer, because instead of ending, it seemed the night had only just begun.


End file.
